The Prince of Deltora
by Azaelia Silmarwen
Summary: The Shadow Lord has attacked Deltora and gain control once more. Deltora bends to his will with King Endon, Queen Sharn and Prince Lief dead, andthe only hope for Deltora's freedom being that there may still be an heir alive to wear the Belt of Deltora.
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FAIR USE ONLY.**

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><p><strong>PROLOGUE<strong>

Our story begins on the annual Deltoran Festival. Every year, the people of Deltora gathered in the City of Del and celebrated the day when they became a free and united nation after Adin's victory over the evil Shadow Lord. It was the one time of year everyone looked forward to, but it was also a day the people of Deltora cursed the Royal family, who turned their backs on their people. Some people had even wondered if they would have been better off under the Shadow Lord's rule.

Jarred had only been to four of these festivals and he loved them. He loved the atmosphere and how all the different tribes respected each other. He also loved the fact that it was the one time of year people seemed to be happy and carefree with no worries. However, it was at this festival that something happened which had never happened before... the Palace gates opened... and it wasn't for the rubbish cart either. No, the gates opened and everyone watched as two strong, masked guards, dressed in grey, walked towards the celebration. When they arrived, they automatically went to the stage to make an announcement. Everyone went quiet to hear what they were going to say.

'People of Deltora,' began one of the guards in a cold voice. 'I bring wondrous news! Our beloved Queen Sharn has given birth to a beautiful baby boy! Now you will have another reason to celebrate this momentous day! To celebrate the birth of Prince Lief!'

With that said, both guards headed back up to the castle, without a backwards glance, and the Palace gates were sealed shut once more.

'Another reason to celebrate?' muttered one of the Dread Gnomes. The festival was the only time they left their mountain, these days. 'Bah! Why should we celebrate the birth of Endon's son? He'll turn out to be just like his father! A man with more power than he knows what to do with, who doesn't care about his people!'

'Maybe the young Prince won't turn out like Endon, though,' Jarred said thoughtfully, looking up at the palace. As much as he missed and cared for his best friend, he hoped Endon's son wouldn't be as blind and naive as Endon.

'Fat chance of that happening!' snapped one the Jalis. 'Look at all the Kings and Queens we've had so far! Every time a new one is born, we believe that they will be the one to lead us out of this Dark Age, but it has never happened! Nothing will change!'

'That's not true! One day Deltora will be at its glory again! One day we will have another King like Adin!' argued Anna, Jarred's beloved wife, while she rested her hand on her swollen tummy.

'I highly doubt it, girl, but I hope you are right,' muttered a poor Mere woman.

**-PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

Six years later, the people of Deltora gathered once more for their annual festival, ignoring the fact that it was the young Prince's sixth birthday. Why should they care if it was his birthday? All they knew about the Prince was his name, except a few Toran's who had seen pictures of the young Prince through Lief's grandmother, Zeean, who was Queen Sharn's mother. It was on this day that the Shadow Lord decided to attack Deltora and gain control once more.

'Daddy? What are they?' screamed Jarred's daughter, Jasmine, as he was dancing with her. Jasmine was born a few months after the Prince.

Jasmine wasn't the only one to notice the strange creatures in the sunset's red sky, though her scream alerted those who hadn't noticed and soon everyone was looking up at the sky.

'The Shadow Lord's Ak-Baba!' hissed a shocked Jarred. Many people turned and looked at him.

'A what?' asked Anna, holding Jasmine tightly to her.

'Ak-Baba. Great birds that eat dead flesh and live for a thousand years. Seven of them serve the Shadow Lord,' explained Jarred to Anna and the many other confused citizens of Deltora.

'And how, may I ask, do you know this, Jarred?' demanded the wife of Del's weaver.

'I learnt about it back when I lived in the palace,' admitted Jarred.

The people of Deltora gasped.

'You lived in the palace, Daddy?' repeated a wide-eyed Jasmine.

'Yes. I was Endon's best and only friend before the Chief Adviser, Prandine, framed me for trying to murder Endon,' replied Jarred.

'Not that your history isn't fascinating, but what would the Shadow Lord's Ak-Baba be doing here?' the leader of the Jalis questioned. 'With King Endon wearing the Belt of Deltora, they should not be here!'

'He's right!'

'Then why are they here?'

'Has the Belt lost its power?'

'No, the Belt hasn't lost its power,' Jarred said sadly. 'Endon doesn't wear the Belt. It has been that way for years, where the royals only wear the Belt when they first take the throne, then it is locked away with three guards guarding it day and night.'

'WHAT? They have the responsibility to protect us from the Shadow Lord by wearing a belt and they can't even get that right! I'm sorry, but royal or not, I couldn't care less if the Shadow Lord kills them!' someone declared angrily.

'You can't mean that about the young Prince! He's an innocent child!' exclaimed an elderly Toran.

'The kid, no, but his father I couldn't care less. I'm sorry, Blacksmith, I know you're friends with the King, but...'

'There is no need to apologise. I know that Endon has lost the peoples' respect,' said Jarred, turning to look sadly at the Palace, before frowning slightly. He had seen something glinting brightly in the last feeble rays of the sun.

'Jarred? Are you alright?' asked Anna.

'Endon's arrow is in the tree,' replied Jarred. 'The call has come.'

'The call?' repeated a citizen of Del as Jarred ran home to get a sword, leaving Anna to explain about the message Jarred had left for Endon if trouble ever emerged. By the time she had finished, Jarred ran passed them and up towards the Palace with a fearful Anna praying for her husband's safe return.

The citizens of Deltora did not return to celebrating. Instead, they just sat there waiting for Jarred to return and later that night, he did but he was not alone. With him, was a middle aged woman holding a toy Kin close to her chest, crying. Jarred was walking sadly next to her carrying what looked like a bunch of rags.

'Zeean!' exclaimed one of the Elders of Tora, getting up to comfort her. 'What's wrong? What happened?'

She just shook her head, tears pouring down her face. The Elder looked towards the silent Jarred.

'Endon and Queen Sharn are dead,' Jarred said bluntly. 'When I got into the palace I went looking for Endon, that's when I ran into Zeean. She was hurrying to Prince Lief's room. I went with her and when we arrived, we saw both Endon and Queen Sharn lying dead on the floor and the Prince was standing against a wall, holding a dagger out in front of him, while he had another sheltered at his hip. Prandine was standing above him with a blood stained sword in hand. Then, in one swift moment, when he saw us, he roughly bashed the Prince's head against the wall and threw him from the nearby window.' Jarred's voice sounded dead and miserable.

'So he could still be alive?' Jasmine asked innocently. She didn't know what her father was talking about. Her window wasn't high off the ground. 'I would survive if I was thrown from my window.'

'Jas, the Prince's window was near the top of the Palace and overlooks a cliff. He wouldn't be able to survive,' Jarred explained quietly.

'Then we are doomed. Without an Heir of Adin to wear the Belt, the Shadow Lord will - The Belt! What happened to the Belt?' asked a Plains man.

'It's here,' muttered Jarred, putting the rags on a nearby table, and opening them to reveal a shattered Belt of Deltora. 'Before Zeean and I escaped Prandine's wrath, I made a pit stop to get the Belt and this is what I found.'

'And the gems?' asked a Dread Gnome.

'Gone. My guess is that the Ak-Baba took them and hid them,' said Jarred.

'Why does it matter?' someone asked bitterly. 'Without an Heir, it is no use to us anyway. The Shadow Lord has won and has begun taking over Deltora again.'

'You may have given up, but us Jalis will never surrender without a fight!' growled a Jalis warrior.

With that said, all the present Jalis went off to prepare for war and to prepare the missing members of their tribe.

'More brawn than brains. That's what's wrong with that tribe,' someone said, watching them leave. 'They're going to get themselves killed, and for what? Deltora is lost!'

'No, it's not,' said Zeean, speaking for the first time. 'While the Chief Advisers encouraged the belief that only the direct line on Adin can wear the Belt, I believe it to be untrue, for it is far too dangerous for Deltora.'

'Where are you going with this?' asked Anna.

'Adin had several children, all who married Torans, which means, somewhere in Tora or maybe in some other Deltoran tribe; we will find a distant relation to - to Lief.'

'Then there is hope,' muttered Jarred, before he and the spokes people of each Tribe went back to the forge to discuss the finding of the next Heir. After all, if there was no Heir, why would the Shadow Lord destroy the Belt and hide the gems, unless he still feared it.

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><p><strong>AN:** **Okay, you are probably all saying, 'Surely Zeean has seen the state of the kingdom, why doesn't she say anything to Endon?' In this case, she does, but he doesn't believe and he continues to abide by the Rule. It's basically that same situation that Jarred was in.**

**If you send me a review anonymously with a question for me to reply to, add a way of contacting you to answer it, otherwise I will just ignore it. In saying this, you can also ask me questions on my Facebook page.**

**All information regarding this story can be found on my profile page.**

**Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:** link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 17 January 2012  
><strong>Updated:<strong> 12 September 2012**  
>Beta:<strong> I-Angel92


	2. The Forests of Silence

**CHAPTER ONE: THE FORESTS OF SILENCE**

Ten years had passed since the Shadow Lord had invaded Deltora and ten years the people of Deltora had to live with its cruel and merciless rule, with Grey Guards, Ols and Ak-Baba's doing its binding. During this time, only the thought of a new heir being discovered brought the people hope and kept them going, to be free of the Shadow Lord's grasp once more. During this time, the Torans had stopped leaving their city in order to search of a likely heir amongst them before training whoever it was in the way of a king or queen. Jarred, however, spend his time mending the broken Belt to the best of his abilities and finding out where the gems were likely located.

Eventually, on the day of the annual Deltoran Festival, Jarred was ready to go out searching for the seven lost gems...well, almost ready.

'Why can't I come?' demanded nearly sixteen year old Jasmine as she stood with her hands on her hips glaring up at her parents.

'Because it's far too dangerous, Jasmine!' yelled Anna, losing her patience. 'It's bad enough having your father going out into the seven most dangerous places in Deltora without having to worry about you as well!'

'Your mother is right, Jasmine.' Jarred said quietly. 'Besides, you don't know what you are willing to follow me too.'

'Perhaps I don't. All I do know is that it will help rid Deltora of the Shadow Lord! And I want to do everything in my power to make sure it happens!'

'Good, then you can stay here and help your mother disguise my absence.' said Jarred.

Jasmine looked at her parents before letting out a scream of frustration, storming to her room and slamming the door shut behind her.

'Maybe I should lock her in,' muttered a thoughtful Jarred. 'Encase she tries to follow me.'

'I doubt she'd do that.' said Anna. 'When will you be leaving?'

'Tomorrow at dawn.' answered Jarred as he fiddled with his bag. 'I will slip out with the Plains and Mere people. That way, I won't arouse suspicion.'

The next morning, Jarred said goodbye to Anna - Jasmine refused to come out of her room to say goodbye - and slipped out of the Del gates, unseen, before walking towards the Forests of Silence. When he came to a place where a small road branched off the main one to the right, crossing a little bridge and then winding away into darkness, Jarred stopped thoughtfully, before becoming aware of someone following him. He stood there silently, listening to the hurried footsteps, before drawing his sword and spinning around, ready to attack as the footsteps got closer. He lowered his sword angrily when he saw who it was.

'Jasmine! What in the name of Deltora do you think you are doing here?' demanded a furious Jarred.

'I've come to help you.' Jasmine said stubbornly.

'Oh no you're not. You are turning around and marching yourself straight home!' growled Jarred.

'No I'm not. I'm coming with you. And I will continue to follow you.'

Jarred opened his mouth furiously, before closing it, shaking his head and continuing to the Forests of Silence. Jasmine happily hurried after him. Whenever her father did that, it meant that she had won the argument and he could think of nothing to stop her.

Together, father and daughter walked in silence, during which time, Jarred observed his daughter unnoticeably. Her black hair was tied back into a pony-tail and her face was excited and determined. He also noticed that she had taken one of his swords from the forge, which was now resting at her hip. He knew he was going to live to regret this choice of letting her come along. Anna would murder him. And speaking of Anna, she was bound to be sick with worry once she noticed Jasmine missing.

Together Jarred and Jasmine walked down a road that twisted, narrow and eventually became dark. Tall, thick bushed lined it on both sides, with leaves that were large, smooth and stiff, with strange pale veins showing amongst the dark green. It was along this path that Jasmine became aware of something watching them. Silently, she turned around and saw a pair of red eyes watching them.

'Dad,' she whispered.

'I know. I see them.' Jarred said quietly as he continued to walk forward. 'Draw your sword, but keep walking. Look to the front and be ready.'

'Yes, Dad.' said Jasmine, doing as her father asked.

As the continued down the path, more and more pairs of red eyes appeared. Jasmine walked closer to Jarred as a sort of humming filled the air. Then, before they knew it, a host of pale, lanky creatures with blood red eyes were upon them and they fell into darkness.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

Jarred groaned as he started to come to. At first he couldn't remember what had happened, but when he did, he tried to sit up in a panic, but he couldn't. He was paralysed. This did not help matters.

'Jasmine!' yelled Jarred, trying to keep his voice calm.

'I'm here.' said Jasmine's surprisingly quiet voice from next to him. Normally she was loud. 'But I can't move.'

'Me neither. The creatures must have paralysed us.' said Jarred before saying angrily. 'And this is why your mother and I didn't want you to come with me! We wanted you to grow up, marry some boy you treats you with respect and have children. Not following me, into places that could send you to an early grave!'

'And did you ever think about what I wanted?' demanded Jasmine. 'Did you ever - Did you hear that?' Jasmine asked suddenly, looking around, not that she good move to take a good look around.

'Hear wh - no, I hear it then too.' Jarred said, tensing up. How were the two of them meant to face an enemy when they were currently paralysed?

His thoughts went back to his beloved wife. Anna would never know what happened to them. He then thought about how Deltora was likely to remain enslaved to the Shadow Lord forever seeing as their death would mean the end of the Belt of Deltora. It would remain lost forever, and if it remained lost, then Endon's heir would never wear the Belt, if the young Prince was still alive, that is.

'Show yourself!' Jasmine yelled, startling Jarred from his thoughts.

Nothing happened, but then there was a soft rustle of leaves above them and a boy, probably no older than sixteen, jumped to the ground and landed lightly between Jarred and Jasmine.

The boy had shoulder length dirty brown hair that was lightly pulled back and held back with a scrap of grey cloth. The boy's skin and pants were just as dirty looking as his hair, and Jasmine couldn't help noticing that while he was lean, he had a slight six pack and muscles. He would have been just over a head taller than her and he would probably have been around her age too. His eyes looked coldly down at them, with hate and disgust, but also curiosity and suspicion. She had never seen a boy like him before, and Jarred couldn't say that he had seen one either.

'Thank goodness,' sighed Jarred. 'Please, help us!'

'Why should I help Grey Guards?' demanded the boy as he stole Jarred's cloak. 'Though, I never knew that there were small female Grey Guards,' he added, looking curiously at Jasmine.

'What? We are not Grey Guards!' snapped Jasmine.

'Likely story. Grey Guards are the only people that take the Wenn Del path.' The boy said coldly.

'Listen, my name is Jasmine and this is my father, Jarred. We come here for a reason. Please help us!'

'I do not help Grey Guards.' The boy said stubbornly, though he looked a little unsure, before he turned to leave with Jarred's cloak in hand.

'Come back here!' yelled Jarred. 'You can't just leave us like this!'

'Let me let you in on a little secret.' The boy said, turning to face them once more. 'The creatures that attacked you are called Wenn. They brought you here as a gift for the Wennbar. It's a monster that rules this part of the forest. So when the sun goes down today, you could say that it is dinner time.' He then turned, jumped into a tree and went on his merry way, ignoring Jasmine and Jarred's cries of help.

'That is the coldest boy I have ever met,' grumbled Jarred. It was currently around midday.

'Hmm,' said Jasmine. 'I wonder how long his lived in here.'

'Too long, by the looks of it.' muttered Jarred as he tried to fight the poison that held him in place.

The afternoon slowly crept on and much to Jarred and Jasmine's surprise, the boy came back with a black bird and some strange, small, fury creature on his shoulder. He then bent down next to Jasmine and raised her body, before leaning it again his own. Jasmine noted that he smelt quiet back, due to the fact he probably wasn't able to wash like she was able to. She watched the hands in front of her as they uncorked a small blue vial , before putting it to her lips and telling her to drink it.

'Why?' Jasmine asked suspiciously.

'Because it is an antidote to the Wenn poison! Now open up!' he ordered impatiently.

Jasmine obeyed and drank the liquid he had given her, before he gently laid her back down and did the same thing for Jarred. Minutes later, Jasmine and Jarred were standing up, looking over at the boy who was currently watching them.

'Thank you.' said Jarred. 'But why did you help us?'

'An old and wise tree of the forest just told me all about you.' The boy said simply.

'A tree?' repeated a disbelieving Jarred.

'Uh huh. Now, follow me. I'll lead you to my nest where you can stay the night.' said the boy, climbing up a tree and looking expectedly down at them.

Jarred and Jasmine exchanged a look before climbing up the tree and following him to his nest.

The journey was most unpleasant for Jarred and Jasmine as they tried to keep balance on the tree branches, while the boy leaped lightly from tree to tree, but they eventually made it to the boy's nest which turned out to be a little hollow where the tree branches had grown around.

'Make yourselves at home.' said the boy as he began to split some fruit equally between them, himself, the black bird and the other creature.

'What's your name?' Jasmine asked, sitting down across from him, while Jarred sat next to her.

'Morio,' the boy said casually. 'What are you doing here in the forests anyway?'

'We can't tell you that,' said an apologetic Jasmine.

'But we can tell you that according to some travellers, the object that we seek here is hidden in the deepest and most dangerous part of the Forests of Silence.' said Jarred. 'They also told us of an evil Guardian that keeps watch over it. Which makes me think that it must be hidden with that creature you called the Wennbar.'

Much to Jasmine and Jarred's surprise, Morio started laughing.

'You know nothing of the Forests of Silence, then. The Wennbar lives near the edge of the first forest. Besides, each forest has a hundred didn't dangerous places, and some of which are more deadly than the Wennbar.' laughed Morio. 'Oh, this is Filli -' he pointed to the small creature '- and Kree by the way.' He added, pointing to the black bird.

'Hey, Morio. Have you been living in the Forests of Silence all your life?' Jasmine asked, before taking a bite of the fruit he had given them. It was delicious!

'No. Only since I was six. According to the trees, I fell from the sky and have been here ever since.' answered Morio. 'And it is because of the trees that I have survived here. Anyway, your quest you speak of. I think I know the location of the object you seek.'

'Really? Where is it? And what is it?' asked an eager Jasmine.

'It's known as the dark around here.' said Morio. 'There is a guardian much more horrible then the Wennbar and the trees fear it. In the morning, I will take you there, if you wish it.'

'It would be much appreciated, thank you.' said Jarred.

Morio nodded, before laying down and going to sleep with Filli curled up against him and Knee sitting above them, watching Jasmine and Jarred's every move.

When morning arrived, Morio shared out his fruit once more before leading them to where the first gem laid hidden, through the tree tops. Along the way, Morio explained how he could speak to the trees, birds and animals, which impressed Jasmine a lot, while Jarred just looked sceptical.

By midafternoon they had reached the place Morio had spoken of, though one would have thought it was night and Jasmine now knew why it was called "The Dark".

'This is the centre,' breathed Morio, looking anxious. 'There is a terrible danger here. The trees are silent and will not answer me. They are in torment, for an evil lies here. An ancient evil. Those who go in never come out.'

'This definitely sounds like the place we were looking for,' said a cautious Jarred, before turning to Morio. 'Thank you for all you have done for us, Morio. But you can do no more. We must go on alone.'

'Yes, thank you, Morio.' said Jasmine, reaching forward and kissing him lightly on the cheek, before following her father down to the forest floor. She was sure Morio was watching them the entire time.

'We're in the right place,' Jarred whispered to Jasmine as he move uncomfortably as the Belt began to grow warm. It was too tight for Jarred to wear. Noticing this, Jasmine held out her hand and Jarred handed her the Belt, which she slipped around her own waist and then covered it with her jacket.

Jarred and Jasmine cautiously walked through an opening in a wall of vines, with the Belt getting hotter and hotter with every step Jasmine took, before they came out in an opening with a golden knight standing motionlessly in the centre with a massive sword in hand. One of the gems of Deltora was set into the sword's hilt. The topaz.

'Who goes there?' demanded the knight, who Jasmine took to be the guardian that even the trees feared, though she could not see why.

'We are two travellers from the city of Del.' answered Jarred. 'To whom do I speak?'

'I am Gorl, guardian of this place and owner of its treasure,' answered the knight in a hollow voice, before attacking them.

Jarred and Jasmine drew their swords and blocked his attack, before lunging their swords at him. Together they dodge and lunged at the golden knight, but it was no use. He was just too strong for them. By the end, Jarred was sent flying into the vine wall, sword falling from his grip. He then laid their in pain, trying hopelessly to get to his feet. Meanwhile, Jasmine was forced to her knees in front of the knight, who raised his sword, ready to end her life. Jasmine could only stare at the massive sword in horror, before something wrapped around her slim waist and she was then flying up to the vine wall. It was Morio. Morio had come swinging down on one of the vines and was now holding her protectively against the vine wall.

'Stay here,' he ordered, before moving to the other side of the vine filled cavern calling out to an enraged Gorl. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, the tree branch that Morio was standing on, broke and went falling down and landed on top of Gorl, killing him instantly from the weight.

Jasmine stood there, holding onto the vine wall, for a while, before climbing down and hurrying over to Jarred, who embraced her in a relieved hug. Moments later, Morio was next to them. He was holding Gorl's sword.

'Thank you, Morio.' smiled a grateful Jarred. 'You have saved our lives once more.'

Morio shrugged and handed Jarred the sword.

'This is what you are after, isn't it?' he asked. 'The trees said it had something to do with the sword.'

'Indeed it does,' said Jarred, taking the topaz out of the sword.

'That's it?' asked a slightly disappointed Morio. 'You risked your lives for a gem? Are you kidding me?'

Jasmine and Jarred exchanged a look. Morio had earned the right to know of their quest.

'It's not just a gem. It is the topaz, the symbol of faithfulness.' said Jasmine.

'And it is said that the gem can bring the spirit world in contact with the living.' added Jarred.

'So? Surely you could have found another topaz somewhere else.' said Morio.

'It's not just that. This gem belongs to the Belt of Deltora...'

'The Belt of Deltora,' repeated Morio. 'Hasn't that got something to do with the royal family?'

'Yes,' frowned Jasmine. 'How did you know that?'

'While I have no memories of my past, I can get little flash backs when I hear certain words or smell certain smells.' shrugged Morio. 'So, what is the topaz doing here and why isn't the royal family wearing it?'

Jasmine and Jarred quickly explained to Morio of the Shadow Lord's invasion and of their quest to find all of the gems and find a new heir to the throne.

'So I guess you two must be off.' said Morio, watching Jasmine put the gem into the Belt of Deltora.

'Yes, it is important that we be on our way.' answered Jarred.

'In that case, Kree will lead you to the edge of the forest, so you can continue your journey.' said Morio. 'I hope we will meet again.'

'You and me both, Morio.' Jasmine said sadly, before following Kree and Jarred to the edge of the forest, wondering if she would ever see Morio again.

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><p><strong>AN: In this story, Filli is going to be a girl so please don't send me reviews saying Filli is a boy.**

**Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:** link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 17 January 2012

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FAIR USE ONLY.**


	3. The Lake of Tears

**CHAPTER TWO: THE LAKE OF TEARS**

Once at the edge of the Forests of Silence, Jasmine and Barda said goodbye to Kree and headed for the Lake of Tears. Together they walked in silence enjoying the bright warm sun and the refreshing breeze that rippled their hair. However, while the road side was beautiful and peaceful, Jarred and Jasmine never let down their guard, for they knew that looks could be deceiving and that the road to the Lake of Tears would be full of danger.

'Dad?' Jasmine said, breaking the silence. 'Do you think Morio will be alright?'

'Oh course he will.' Jarred said confidently. 'He's lived in that forest for ten years. I'm sure he'll just go back to doing whatever it was he was doing before he met us.'

'It must be lonely there.' Jasmine said conversationally. 'With only the animals and trees to talk to. I wonder if we are the first people he has talked to since he arrived there?'

'Yes, you are,' said a quiet voice from behind them.

'Morio! What are you doing here?' exclaimed Jasmine.

'After you left, an elder tree told me that I should go with you. He said that he had a good feeling about it and that there had to be a reason why we met.' explained Morio. 'He said that it had something to do with my destiny and it was my chance to find out who I am and where I come from.'

'In that case, we are pleased to have your help.' said Jarred.

'Our help,' corrected Morio, motioning to Filli and Kree.

'Yes, including Filli and Kree.' chuckled Jarred.

'So, where are we going?' Morio asked eagerly as they started walking once more.

'The Lake of Tears.'

Morio's face fell.

'Please tell me that you are joking.' Morio said, looking between father and daughter.

'No. We have to go there. It is where the next gem is. Why?' asked Jasmine.

'That is the territory of the sorceress Thaegan.' answered Morio.

'Regardless, we have to go there.' said Jarred. 'How do you know of Thaegan anyway? Is that another word that has jogged your memory?'

'No. Kree told me about her.' said Morio, looking at Kree who was perched on his arm. 'So let me get this straight. You are planning on going straight through Thaegan's land?'

'Yes, it is the most direct route to the Lake.'

'But it is also the most dangerous. It would be safer to go around...'

'And risk running into Grey Guards and being caught?' demanded Jarred, looking down at the boy next to Jasmine. 'No, we're going straight through and that's final.' Jarred said, before picking up his pace, leaving the two teenagers behind him.

As the group were approaching a nearby bridge, Jarred stopped and frowned at a weird shaped boulder that was blocking their path. Jasmine halted next to her father, while Morio went and stood calmly in front of the boulder, and said, 'Can you please stand aside so we can pass?'

Jasmine and Jarred exchanged a look, wondering if he could now speak to boulders to, but then the boulder moved to reveal that it wasn't a boulder at all, but rather a huge, golden-eyed, dark-skinned man holding a wickedly curved sword.

'If you wish to pass, you must answer my riddles correctly. Answer incorrectly, and I will kill you.' said the giant. 'As are the rules I must follow until truth and lies are one.'

'Here is the riddle you must answer,' said the giant. He took eleven sticks out of his pocket and threw them to the ground. 'Change eleven to nine, without removing any of the sticks.'

'Oh, that's easy!' said a happy Jasmine. 'Mother use to play these sorts of games with me when I was younger!' She quickly bent down and spelt the word nine with the sticks. Henceforth, changing eleven into nine.

'Very well, the girl may pass.' said the giant.

'But...what about my father and friend?' asked Jasmine.

'The one who answers gets to cross.' said the giant.

'Go ahead, Jasmine. We'll meet you on the other side.' said Jarred.

Once more, Jasmine did as her father asked and crossed the bridge, while Jarred and Morio waited for the next riddle.

'Here is my next question,' said the giant. 'It is long, so to be fair I will ask it twice. Listen well;

_Sorceress Thaegan gulps her favourite food,  
>In her cave with all her brood.<br>And the names of the children are:  
>Hot, Tot, Jin, Jod,<br>Fie, Fly, Zan, Zod,  
>Pik, Snik, Lun, Lod,<br>And of course the dreaded Ichabod.  
>Each child holds a slimy toad.<br>On each toad squirms two fat grubs.  
>On each grub rides two fleas brave.<br>Here is my riddle now, so beware.  
>Answer my riddle now, if you dare.<br>How many creatures are living in Sorceress Thaegan's cave?_

Morio just looked at the giant as he repeated it for a second time, not having a clue what to do, but when he looked at Jarred, he was startled to find him smiling.

'Why are you smiling?' asked Morio.

'When Endon and I were boys, we use to have to solve problems like this all the time during our schooling.' answered Jarred, before bending down and doing the necessary calculations in the dirt, while Morio just watched on in fascination. He wondered if he would have been able to do calculations like that if he was still with his family.

'Right, I've got it.' Jarred said, a few minutes later. 'One hundred and five creatures.'

The giant was silent for a minute before he smiled horrible and grabbed Jarred firmly by the arm.

'DAD!' yelled Jasmine from the other side of the bridge.

'Your answer is incorrect.' It said.

'What do you mean it is incorrect?' growled Jarred. 'Thaegan, plus her thirteen children, plus thirteen toads, twenty-six grubs, and fifty-two fleas equals one hundred and five!'

'What about the black bird?' asked Morio.

'What black bird?' snapped Jarred, trying to free his arm from the giant's firm grip.

'Thaegan's favourite food is a black bird swallowed alive. That's why I was against going through her terrain. I was scared for Kree's safety.'

Jarred frozen and turned to look at the teenage boy standing near him.

'You've got to be joking! How was I supposed to know that?' snapped Jarred, but it wasn't aimed at Morio, but rather the giant.

'It is not my concern what you know and do not know.' said the giant, raising his sword and lining it up with Jarred's neck, but before he could swing his sword, Morio spoke to him.

'You are a tricker and a deceiver.' Morio said calmly. 'As such, it is no surprise that you are doomed to guard this bridge until truth and lies are one.'

'My suffering was not justly earned,' spat the giant. 'It was for pure spite that Thaegan took my freedom and cursed me to be tied to this piece of earth. If you are so interested in truth and lies, we will play another game.' he said, dropping Jarred to the ground with a thud. 'We will play a game to decide which way your father shall die...'

'I have no father.' said a blank Morio. 'Jarred is my friend, not my father.'

'Oh, either way the game is to decide how he will die.' said a slightly embarrassed giant. 'You may say one thing, and one thing only. If what you say is true, I will strangle your friend with my bare hands. If what you say is false, I will cut off his head.'

'I've got a better idea, how 'bout neither.' said Jarred.

'Chop off his head.' Morio said suddenly.

Everyone turned and looked at him.

'Well, is my statement true or false?'

There was silence as the giant just looked down at the sixteen year old before he let out a cry of pain as his flesh began to ripple, melting and changing shape. Then, brown feathers began sprouting from his skin, legs shrinking and feet spreading, becoming talons. His powerful arms and shoulders were gone and had reformed themselves into great wings. His sword became a fierce, hooked beak. In a few short moments, the giant was gone, and a huge, proud bird with golden eyes stood in his place, before taking flight.

Morio watched as the bird flew away, before helping a shocked Jarred to his feet, leading him across the bridge and stopping in front of an equally shocked Jasmine.

'You knew that he was a bird, didn't you?' Jasmine said finally, looking over at the silent and thoughtful Morio.

Morio nodded.

'How did you know that your answer would set him free?' asked Jarred.

'I may have been raised by animals and trees, but I can be intelligent when I need to be.' said Morio, leading the way down the path towards the Lake of Tears. 'Anyway, I knew he would have no answer for it the statement was true, he was bound to strange Jarred, thus making it false. And if the statement was false, the man was bound to cut off his head, thus making it true.'

'Wow,' said an impressed Jasmine.

'Hmm, Grey Guards are coming.' said Morio calmly, climbing up a nearby tree, then looking down expectedly at his companions.

Jasmine and Jarred hurriedly climbed the tree and moments later a pod of Grey Guards came in to view and they had a prisoner with them.

'They've captured a Ralad!' breathed a shocked Jarred.

'A what?' asked Morio.

'One of the Deltoran tribes. They are a race of builders.'

'Oh.'

The group then fell silent as the Grey Guards and Ralad stopped under the tree they were hiding in. Two of the guards pushed the Ralad man roughly to the ground at the base of the tree, threw him a bottle of water, before joining their brothers as they began to eat and drink. Whilst this was happening, the Ralad man's eyes remained fixed on the food scraps that were being scattered on the grass of the clearing they were in. He was starving. Morio, Jasmine and Jarred had to watch in silence as the guards tormented the starving Ralad with food, until the guards decided that they were tired and went to sleep.

'Now's our time to escape,' whispered Jarred.

'And save the Ralad man.' said Jasmine.

'Jasmine, we can't risk it. Our objective is to find the gems then to find the new heir to the throne. You know that!' Jarred whispered back angrily.

'How can we just leave him here?' demanded Jasmine.

'Be quiet you two or they will hear us!' interrupted an impatient Morio. Jasmine ignored him.

'I won't just sit here and - Morio no!' Jasmine exclaimed in a whisper as Morio jumped down from the branch they were sitting in and landed in one a few branches down, before leaning against the tree trunk, blending in with the tree.

Jarred and Jasmine looked warily down at the Grey Guards and were relieved to see that they were still asleep, but the Ralad man was looking up into the tree, having heard Morio. Eventually the Ralad man looked back down and Morio, jumped out of the tree, landed in front of the Ralad man and put his hand of its mouth to stop any scream.

'It's okay, I'm a friend.' whispered Morio, before motioning for Jarred and Jasmine to come down.

'Well, I guess there's nothing like the direct approach.' Jarred whispered to Jasmine as they climbed down the tree.

When they got to the base, they went over to Morio, who was looking thoughtfully at the Ralad man's chains.

'Leave it to me,' whispered Jasmine, taking a pin from her hair and picking the locks.

'Dare I ask how you know how to do that?' asked Jarred.

'Nope, cause you won't like the answer.' replied Jasmine.

'I was afraid you'd say that.'

Once the chains were off, the Ralad man drew a V with to lines coming off the top on the ground and looked up at them inquiringly. Baffled, Morio, Jasmine and Jarred glanced at one another, then back at the Ralad. He saw that they did not understand his meaning. His black eyes grew fearful and he quickly brushed the mark away, but he still seemed to trust them. Silently, Jarred put the Ralad on his back, before silently hurrying away with the two teenagers, away from the guards. Once they were saw they were a good distance away from the guards, they decided to stop, make camp and see to the Ralad. During their escape, the Ralad had fallen unconscious and Jarred went straight to work on cleaning his wounds and making him better. That was one bonus of being married to the city of Del's herb and medicine maker.

While Jarred was tending to the Ralad man, Jasmine and Morio both settled down for the night, while Kree stood watch.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

The next morning, Jasmine was woken by Morio's gentle shakes to wake her up. Yawning, Jasmine sat up and looked around. Morio was making them breakfast with the berries he had found nearby, while Jarred was talking to the now conscious Ralad.

'It's good to see that you are looking better.' Jasmine said, walking over to the Ralad.

'Jasmine, this is Manus and he thanks you for saving him from the Grey Guards. He says he owes us a great deal.' said Jarred.

'What do you mean, he says?' asked a curious Morio. 'I haven't heard him say a word. All he does is draw in the dirt.'

'None of the Ralads have voices, Morio.' explained Jarred. 'Thaegan saw to that, long ago. It was when, out of spite and jealousy, she created the Lake of Tears from the beauty of D'Or...'

'D'Or?' questioned Morio.

'Another tribe within Deltora, though they came from across the sea and are not part of the seven main tribes.' said Jarred. 'Anyway, the Ralads of that time raised their voices against her and she put a stop to it, and not just for them, but for all who came after them. There have been no words spoken in Raladin for hundreds of years. Hence, is why they draw markings in the sand. It is their only means of communication.'

'Proof once more why Thaegan is a monster,' said Morio coldly.

'After breakfast, we should leave. If we are unlucky we might have a pod of Grey Guards after us and it's not safe to stay still too long with Thaegan around.' said Jarred.

'Agreed.' said Morio and Jasmine in unison as Manus started writing in the dirt again.

'What's he saying?' asked Jasmine.

'He said that he will take us to his village, where we can rest, get supplies and continue our journey.' answered Jarred. 'Thank you, Manus.' he added.

'How long will it take to get there?' asked Morio.

Once more Manus scribbled in the dirt and once more Jarred translated.

'Three days, if Thaegan doesn't catch us first.'

'That's not comforting,' muttered Jasmine as she prepared to set off again.

During their journey to Raladin they tried to keep to small, well-hidden paths, but eventually, that proved to be impossible as the paths disappeared leaving only main roads. Thankfully, this part of Deltora wasn't travelled much and the small party met no one, which was good. If it was only Jarred and Jasmine walking along, no one would be suspicious, but had Morio, a wild boy with a black bird and a Ralad...that would be hard to explain why they had such an odd party. Anyway, as they walked on towards Raladin, they passed many empty houses with the Shadow Lord's mark branded into the doors and other structures. It was then that Manus explained the meaning of the mark he had drawn in the dirt as they saved him from the Grey Guards. Apparently it was the mark of the Deltoran Resistance, a group of people who fought against the Shadow Lord.

Days later, the party arrived at Raladin and found it to be a ghost town. Morio, Jarred and Jasmine watched sadly as Manus ran around his home town, looking for his people, but in the end, he went and sat by a fountain sadly, before picking up a nearby flute and beginning to play. The music was beautiful, yet sad at the same time. The group could feel Manus' pain as their own, but then there was the sound of flutes being played cheerfully and a secret passage was opened to reveal a secret passage to an underground city, full of happy Ralads, over joyed to see Manus again.

'I can't believe that Ralads were able to build something like this,' muttered Morio as they were lead into the underground city. 'It's amazing!'

'I know, and thanks to Manus and his people, we are able to see such a wonder and relax. Plus you can also have a bath.' Jarred said to Morio.

'Why? I'm just going to get dirty again anyway.' Morio said stubbornly.

'That's not the point. You're a young man, and young men shouldn't go around all filthy!'

'Fine, I'll have a wash,' grumbled Morio, making Jasmine giggle, as he followed one of the Ralad women into a nearby house where he could wash up. And he did wash up, even though it was just his tan skin. He didn't bother with his dirty brown hair and nothing Jarred could say or do could make Morio wash his hair. He ended up chasing the stubborn teenager around the underground city - entertaining the Ralads and Jasmine - while Kree chased Jarred, trying to protect Morio. In the end Jarred gave up, and went off muttering about stubborn teenagers.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

Three days, Jarred, Jasmine and Morio stayed in Raladin and one there last night there, they told the Ralads where they wanted to go. The Ralads were horrified and were even more horrified to learn that Manus had volunteered to take them there. They tried to reason with them and Manus, scribbling on the ground and in the end, the group found out that they feared a monster that lived there that went by the name of Soldeen. And when the group mentioned Thaegan, they then learnt from the Ralads that Thaegan could only be killed if a drop of her blood is drawn, but those who have tried, failed and were never seen again, for her body was protected by a magic barrier, making it impossible for her to be killed.

'Then we will hide from her,' said Jarred. 'And we promise that Manus will return safely to you.'

Then, with that, Jarred and Manus led the way out of the village with the two teenagers following behind them, arguing about something, as usual.

By midafternoon the way had grown rough and the hills more rugged. Dead trees held bleached, white branches up to the pale sky. The grass crackled under their feet and the low-growing bushes were dry and dusty, but eventually they arrived at a murky lake ringed by banks of thick, grey mud riddled with what looked like worm holes. In its centre a slimy rock oozed water which dripped ceaselessly into the pool, causing slow, oily ripples to creep across its surface. Twisted, barren peaks of clay rose beyond the lake like haunted things. There was not one green, growing thing to be seen and there was no sound but the dripping of water and the faint, squelching movement of mud. There were no smells but damp and decay. It was a place of bitterness, ugliness, misery and death.

'The Lake of Tears. They named that right,' muttered Jarred. 'Is the Belt warm, Jasmine?'

Manus looked at Jarred and Jasmine curiously.

'No. We'll need to get closer.' answered Jasmine.

Manus made a motion to Jarred asking what they were talking about.

'We're searching for a special stone that we believed to be hidden here,' said Jarred, telling Manus a little of the reason they were there. After all, the Ralad man had done a lot for them, so it was only right that he should be included. 'But the matter is a deadly secret. If we find what we seek, you must tell no-one, whatever happens.'

Manus nodded his hand on his heart.

'It's hard to believe that this use to be the city of D'Or.' Jasmine said quietly to Morio, who was looking around in disgust. 'It use to be like a fairytale garden. Full of life and love. I can't believe Thaegan could do such a thing.'

'She is a cold, heartless monster. That's how she could do it!' growled Morio. 'Let's find the gem and get out of here. I don't like it here and neither do Filli and Kree.'

Jasmine looked over at Morio's two constant companions and saw that he was right. Filli was trembling while Kree stood like a statue, on Morio's shoulder, all tense. She then looked over at her father who was currently moving towards the lake. She went over to join him. As she did so, the Belt began to grow warm.

'It's here somewhere.' Jasmine said. 'The Belt is growing warmer the closer we get to the middle of the Lake!'

'Maybe it's underneath the water.' mused Jarred.

'Get out of the water, now!' yelled Morio all of a sudden, while Kree started screeching. 'Quick! Can't you see, something is coming towards you!'

Father and daughter alike, turned to face the water and sure enough, something big was heading towards them. Together they scrambled from the water as a big sea like creature came at them. They made it to land just in time.

'I take it that was Soldeen.' Morio said to Manus, who nodded his confirmation. He was staring at the creature in fright.

Morio turned and watched as Jarred and Jasmine fought Soldeen. He watched as Jasmine was thrown into the air, before landing on top of Soldeen, with Jarred yelling out to her. He then watched as Soldeen relaxed and as Jasmine spoke calmly with him. Then, before his very eyes, he watched as he took Jasmine to the gem which was on the rock in the middle of the lake. He then watched as she came back, but she did not look happy.

'She has the gem, so why is she unhappy?' Morio asked Jarred.

'I have no idea.' admitted Jarred, frowning at his daughter's odd behaviour.

Together, they watched as Soldeen and Jasmine came closer before they hear Jasmine yell something, before the sky seemingly split open with a jagged streak of light. With a fearful, rushing sound, a cloud of foul-smelling, yellow smoke belched through the crack, churning the Lake to mud and filling the air above it with thick, choking flumes. And in the midst of the smoke, hovering above the water was a towering figure, shining green with wild, silver hair that crackled and flew around here beautiful, sneering face as though it was alive itself...

'Thaegan!' growled Morio as the witch laughed coldly.

'Welcome to my beautiful garden,' she said, looking down at them all, before saying a magic spell, aiming it at Soldeen. Soldeen was hit painfully with a jet of golden light. Jasmine, you was still on his back, went flying into the water, losing the gem.

'Jasmine!' yelled Jarred, swimming in after her and pulling her out of the water.

'Foolish little girl,' laughed Thaegan, watching Jarred and Jasmine. 'It was only by chance that you set Soldeen free.' She glanced over at Soldeen, who was leaning against the rock in the middle of the lake, eyes closed. 'But you are all really pathetic...'

'That is enough, Thaegan!' yelled Jarred, jumping to his feet and drawing his sword. He then charged at her before he hit the magic barrier and went flying backwards.

'Now, time for you.' said Thaegan, turning to face Morio and noticing Kree on his shoulder. 'Ah, you brought me a snack. What a thoughtful little boy.'

'Kree is not on the menu!' snapped Morio, drawing his dagger and running at the witch.

Thaegan laughed at his pitiful attempted and began a magic spell once more. During this, Kree dived, like a black arrow, towards Thaegan and with a vicious snap his sharp beak stabbed one of Thaegan's fingers. He had managed to get passed Thaegan's magic barrier, because she had lowered it to cast her spell. Thaegan shrieked in rage, shock and pain, turning to face Kree who seemed to be squawking in triumph, and then soon saw why as a drop of red blood dripped from the witch's finger. Thaegan's eyes widened and she let out a hair raising scream as her body shuddered, writhed and turned into a dead, rotting, small tree.

After Thaegan's death, a most extraordinary thing happened. Before the groups eyes, the Lake of Tears began to disappear and was replaced once more with the beautiful city of D'Or. Full of green, beautiful buildings, fountains and the now laughing D'Or's, golden people who had been turned into different horrifying creatures. Soldeen also changed. He changed back into a tall, golden man with a mane of tawny hair, and the weeping rock that had been on the centre of the lake, transformed into a golden woman with night black hair. In her hand she held the red ruby.

'Am I dreaming?' said Jasmine as the man and woman walked towards them.

'If you are, we are all dreaming the same dream,' said a chirpy voice, they did not know.

Frowning, Jarred, Jasmine, and Morio turned around and saw Manus grinning at them.

'Manus - you can speak!' exclaimed Jasmine.

'Of course! With Thaegan's death, all her spells have been broken!' said a cheerful Manus. 'The people of Raladin, D'Or and everyone around here thank you, especially for what that amazing bird of yours did.' he added, nodding his head to Kree, who was perched proudly on Morio's wrist.

'Indeed,' said a deep, quiet voice. The man that had been Soldeen was standing next to them along with the beautiful woman. 'We have met before as enemies and now, at last, we meet as friends. I am Nanion and this is my wife, Ethena. We are chiefs of D'Or, and we owe you our freedom.'

'I believe you are looking for this,' said Ethena, holding out the ruby.

'Um, yeah.' said Jasmine, taking the ruby, but then hesitating, every much aware of Manus, Nanion and Ethena's eyes on her, Morio and Jarred.

'For a hundred years we have lived a half life that was worse than death, and it is thanks to you that we are once more your true selves.' said Manus. 'Your secret, if it is a secret, will be safe with us.' Nanion and Ethena nodded their agreement.

'That's good enough for me.' said Jarred, and Jasmine nodded, before taking off the Belt making Manus, Nanion and Ethena gasp.

'The - the Belt of Deltora!' gasped Nanion. 'But - why is it here, so far from Del? No, do not answer that, for I believe I know what has happened. Thaegan told us, before she sent us into darkness, that the Shadow Lord would come and Deltora would be lost forever. And it has happened, hasn't it?'

'Yes, but Deltora will not be lost forever. It will free again just like D'Or.' answered Jarred, before saying his goodbyes, before heading back to Raladin where they were perceived as heroes, much to Morio's embarrassment.

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 18 January 2012

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FAIR USE ONLY.**


	4. Tom

**CHAPTER THREE: TOM**

For two weeks, they stayed with the Ralads, resting and preparing themselves for the long journey ahead. Their journey to the City of the Rats.

As they left Raladin, they companions were all fit and ready to go, but after two weeks of moving west to where the fabled city lied, they became footsore and weary, with no food and no water left, and it didn't help that they were travelling down a depressing road with plains of thorns either side of them and all they could see up ahead was thorns. Even worse than that, was they were weary of Grey Guards and even more dangerous, Thaegan's children who would no doubt know about their mother's death.

'What's that up ahead?' asked Morio, breaking the silence, and pointing to a glimmer of white on the side of the road.

It turned out to be a sign post reading:

_TOM  
>Everything for the Traveller<em>

'Hmm, it must be some sort of shop.' said a thoughtful Jarred.

'What's a shop?' asked a curious Morio.

Jasmine turned and looked at Morio in surprise.

'Who don't know what a shop is?' exclaimed Jasmine.

'Jasmine, Morio has spent most of his life in the Forests of Silence...'

'Only since he was six.' argued Jasmine. 'I knew what a shop was when I was that age!'

'Yes, I admit that is odd, but -'

'Can you two stop talking as though I not here?' demanded Morio. 'So what is a shop?'

'It's a place for buying and selling things, such as food and clothes.' explained Jarred.

'I don't get it.' said Morio.

'What's there to get?' asked Jasmine as they began to head towards the shop.

'Food grows on trees and in the ground and you get water from a stream. And everything else is found, given to you or made.' said a confused Morio. 'So why do you need a shop? Is it there for people who are too lazy to find things themselves?'

'What are you on about?' asked a confused Jasmine.

Jarred then spent the rest of the journey to Tom's trying to explain to Morio the importance of a shop. It wasn't as easy as it seemed.

'I hope this Tom sells something for sore feet,' grumbled Jasmine as the store came into view.

'Well, he does say that he has everything for travellers, so I would be surprised if he doesn't.' said Jarred. 'But we'll have to choose only what we really need. We don't have any money to waste.'

Morio cocked his head to one side. He still didn't understand the concept of money. He got even more curious when they stopped outside the shop and looked in through the window.

'Wow, he sure has a lot of stuff. I don't even know what some of this stuff is!' said Jasmine. 'Hey look, "Free gift for every customer",' she read off a sign, before looking eagerly at her father.

'Well, might as well go in,' muttered Jarred, leading the way into the shop. Jasmine practically ran in, while Morio followed a little more hesitantly.

A bell fastened to the door tinkled as they entered the shop, but no-one came forward to greet them. They looked around, blinking in the gloom. The crowded room seemed very dim after the bright sunlight outside. Narrow corridors ran between shelved that rose from the floor to the low ceiling. The shelves were crammed with goods. At the far end was a dusty counter cluttered with account books, a set of scales, and what looked like a money tin.

'Welcome to Tom's store,' said a tall, lean man with a hat on the back of his head as he walked into the room. 'What can Tom show you? And better yet, what can Tom sell you?'

'We need a good length of strong rope.' said Jarred, while Jasmine and Morio looked around. He swore that he heard Morio whisper, 'Strange.' a few times.

Tom disappeared for a moment, before coming back with a coil of rope.

'This is Tom's best rope.' he said. 'Light and very strong. Three silver coins, and it is yours.'

'Three silver coins!' exclaimed Jarred. 'That's robbery!'

'Not robbery, my friend, but business,' Tom said calmly. 'For where else will you find a rope like this?'

Holding one end of the rope, he threw the rest upwards with a flick of his wrist. The rope uncoiled like a snake and wound itself tightly around one of the ceiling rafters. Tom pulled at it, to show its strength, then flicked his wrist again, and the rope unwrapped itself from the rafter and dropped back into his hands, winding itself up into a neat coil as it fell.

'Trickery,' growled Jarred, while Morio looked at it suspiciously. Only Jasmine seemed impressed with it.

'We'll take it!' she exclaimed.

'What?' yelled Jarred, before she stole his money bag. 'Oi! Jasmine!'

Jasmine fished out three silver coins.

'So that's money?' said Morio, looking curiously into the money bag.

'Uh huh,' said Jasmine, handing the coins to Tom.

'I don't see anything special about them.' muttered Morio.

Tom, having heard Morio's comment, looked over at him curiously, before turning his attention, back to Jasmine and the annoyed Jarred.

'Is there anything else Tom can show you? No obligation to buy.'

'Everything!' exclaimed an excited Jasmine.

'You are your mother's daughter,' muttered Jarred, before walking over and sitting down next to Morio. 'I think we'll be here a while.' He told the boy.

'Why is she so fascinated with the shop?' asked Morio. 'I can't see anything spectacular about it.'

Jarred only shrugged and watched as Tom showed Jasmine everything in his shop. For an hour Jarred and Morio sat, before Tom had finally showed them everything.

'So,' said Tom. 'Tom has shown you. Now, what can he sell you?'

'Um,' said Jasmine.

'We'll take the no bake bread and that stuff that makes any water safe to drink.' said Jarred, walking over to the counter. 'Seeing as that's all we can afford.' He took his money bag off Jasmine.

At that moment, the door opened and in the doorway stood a tall, strong man wearing rough, but clean garments, with longish black hair and black beard. Around his forehead was a strange golden, metal band. Jarred gave a little gasp, and turned away when the man looked at him as he enter the threshold. He nodded briefly to Jasmine, and frowned slightly at Morio, taking in his appearance. Before taking a length of self-coiling rope from a shelf and went over to the dusty counter.

'How much?' he asked Tom.

'One silver coin for you, good sir.' answered Tom.

Jasmine went to open her mouth to protest, since he had charged them, three solver coins, when Morio grabbed her shoulder and shook his head, before pointing to the counter where the man had drawn the secret sign of the Resistance. This man was clearly a member.

The Resistance man, throw Tom a sliver coin, before casually, removing the mark.

'I have heard rumours of strange happenings at the Lake of Tears, and indeed all through the territory across the stream,' the stranger said carelessly, as he turned to go. 'I have heard that Thaegan is no more.'

Jarred, Jasmine and Morio exchanged a look. Had word really spread that quickly?

'Indeed?' said Tom smoothly. 'I cannot tell you. I am but a poor shopkeeper, and know nothing of these things. The thorns by the road, I understand, are as wild as ever.'

'The thorns are not the result of sorcery, but of a hundred years of poverty and neglect.' snorted the stranger. 'The Del King's thorns, I call them, as do many others.' The man said, before leaving the shop.

'Who was that?' Jarred asked Tom the moment the stranger was gone.

'No names are mentioned in Tom's shop but Tom's own, sir.' Tom answered calmly. 'It is better so, in these hard times.' He put a jar of fire-making beads and a pipe that blew bubbles of light into their pile of goods. 'Take these, no extra charge.'

'Why?' asked Morio.

'Tom is always happy to help a traveller - as you have seen.'

'Very well,' said Jarred, handing over the appropriate amount of money.

'It has been a pleasure to serve you,' said Tom.

'Hey, what about our free gift!' said Jasmine.

'Jasmine! Don't be rude!' scolded Jarred. 'He has already given us -'

'Ah, of course.' smiled Tom, handing Jasmine a small, flat tin box.

'What is it?' asked Jasmine.

'Water Eaters. The instructions are on the back.'

'Thank you,' said Jarred, before ushering Morio and Jasmine out of the shop, encase Jasmine wanted to try and buy something else.

When they arrived outside, they watched as the Resistance man rode off down the road on a horse.

'Wow, just look at him go,' muttered Jarred. 'If we had horses our journey would go a lot faster.'

'Tom has horses.'

The companions looked towards the shop door and saw Tom leaning against the door frame.

'Well, they're not really horses, but they are a fast ride and a fair price.' continued Tom, leading them around the back of his shop where they saw three strange creatures grazing. They were roughly the same size as horses, but they had long necks, very small heads with narrow, drooping ears, and only three legs - one thick one at the front and two thinner ones at the back.

'Muddlets,' said Tom happily, when he saw that they didn't know what they were.

'Are they fast?' asked Jarred as Morio and Jasmine went over to the strange creatures.

'Muddlets run as fast as the wind blows and they are far stronger than any horse.' said Tom. 'Plus they are good listeners too. Just yell "Brix" when you want them to go and "Snuff" when you want them to stop.'

'Hmm,' said Jarred, walking over and inspecting them. 'How much do you want?'

'Let's say, eighteen gold coins.'

'What? I don't have anywhere near that much!' exclaimed Jarred.

'Even if we gave back all that stuff we bought off you, we wouldn't be able to afford them.' said Jasmine.

'Then I'm afraid -'

'Wait!' said Morio, digging into one of his pockets. 'Will you trade this for the muddlets?' He poured two handfuls of gold coins into Tom's hand.

'I can't believe it! Where did you get all that money from?' asked a shocked Jasmine.

'That is money? I thought it was silver?' said a bored Morio.

'Eighteen gold it is,' said Jarred, taking the extra money out of Tom's hand and putting it in his own money bag, knowing that Morio couldn't care less.

He then climbed onto one of the muddlets looking a little uneasy.

'Now, one more thing.' said Tom, I have not asked where you are going, for I do not want to know, but I am going to give you a piece of advice. About half an hour from here you will come to a place where the road divides. Take the left path, no matter how tempted you may be to do otherwise.'

'Thanks Tom.' said Jasmine as they began to rid towards the City of the Rats.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

'I hate to say it, but Tom was right!' laughed Morio as they rode quickly through the beautiful terrain. 'We'll get there very fast on these guys!'

'Where did you get that many gold coins from anyway?' asked Jarred.

'I told you before. Living in the forest I get all kinds of things from the Grey Guards.' answered Morio. 'Most of the time it would be those gold things you call money. It's also where I got two of my daggers from.'

'Where did you get the third?'' asked Jasmine.

'I had it on me when I arrived in the forest,' shrugged Morio. 'Hey, there's the fork, Tom spoke of.'

In the middle of the fork was a sign with the right leading to the Broad River and the left leading to Miller's Rise.

'Apparently, the City of the Rats isn't that big and stands alone on the bend of the Broad River,' said Jarred, looking thoughtfully down the right road.

'You don't know much about it, do you?' asked Morio, looking over at Jarred.

'All I know is that it is a walled city that appears to be completely deserted.' answered Jarred. 'Many have seen it from the outside, but it is unknown if anyone has seen inside its walls.' He then turned his muddlet down the right path, followed by Jasmine.

'What are you two doing? Tom said to stay on the left path!' said Morio.

'From what we know, this is the path we want. It leads to the City of the Rats. Besides, Tom didn't know that we were going to the city.' shrugged Jasmine, before taking off with Jarred, leaving Morio to catch up.

When they were half way along the road, the muddlets suddenly became all excited and began to struggle against their reins. The companions all yelled "Snuff" to make them stop, but they were unsuccessful. The muddlets ended kicking them off and they fell painfully and forcefully to the ground, knocking them unconscious.

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 18 January 2012

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FAIR USE ONLY.**


	5. City of Noradz

**CHAPTER FOUR: CITY OF NORADZ**

When they awoke, the found themselves in a large clean hall, surrounded by red figures - people dressed completely in red, including their boots, gloves and the tight-fitting cloth that covered their face, leaving room only for their eyes - and people with shaved heads dressed in close-fitting suits of black with high boots. They were staring at the companions fearful, but they seemed to fear Morio the most. Then, the people in black sprayed them with some sort of cleaning spray, making them gag and Filli to hide in Morio's hair.

'What are you doing to us?' asked Jasmine, getting to her feet, followed by Jarred and Morio.

'Cleansing,' answered one of the red figures.

'Cleansing?' repeated Morio.

'In Noradz we constantly maintain cleanliness throughout the city.' said the figure, his voice filled with distaste as he looked down at Morio. His eyes glaring down at him. 'And visitors are not welcome here. Why have you come?'

'We didn't mean to,' answered Jasmine. 'Our mounts bolted, and carried us out of our way. We fell -'

'You were lying outside our gates, with your goods scattered about you,' he interrupted, his voice cold and suspicious. 'There were no mounts to be seen.'

'Then they must have run away.' snapped Morio. 'We certainly did not throw ourselves upon the ground with such force as to knock ourselves senseless!'

'Guard your tongue, unclean one!' the red man ordered coldly. His eyes flashed dangerously. 'You will speak with respect! Do you not know who you are speaking to? I am Reece, First Ra-Kacher of the Nine! Leader of the city of Noradz!'

'Well, I'm _so_ impressed.' Morio said sarcastically.

'Morio!' hissed Jarred, before turning to Reece. 'We are deeply sorry, my Lord Ra-Kacher. We are strangers, and ignorant of your ways.'

'Where is Kree?' demanded Morio suddenly, looking around for the black bird.

'There is another of you?' Reece asked sharply.

'No, Kree is a bird,' answered Jasmine, which brought a lot of muttering to the people in black and horror.

'An animal is one of your companions?' said a disgusted Reece.

'Please tell me Filli is still safe with you,' breathed Jarred to Morio.

'Course she is.' said Morio.

'Then you better keep her quiet for now.' said Jarred, before addressing Reece once more. 'We are most grateful for your care of us, but with your permission we will be on our way.'

'It is our time to eat, and a platter has been prepared for you,' said Reece, his dark eyes sweeping their faces as if daring them to object. 'The food has already been blessed by the Nine. When food has been blessed, it must be eaten within the hour. Noradseer.'

'Noradzeer,' echoed the people reverently.

Reece and the other Ra-Kacherz then led them through a large doorway towards the location they were going to eat. Everything in the hall was polished that much that they could see their faces in it as clearly as if they were using a mirror. While Jarred and Jasmine were amazed, Morio was disgusted.

'They must polish night and day to get everything this shiny,' gasped Jasmine.

'There's something wrong with these people!' Morio muttered bitterly. 'It's a city filled with neat freaks. Hmm, they must have cleaned my feet when I was unconscious,' he added. 'They feel weird being this clean.'

'Pity they didn't clean the rest of you, especially your hair,' muttered Jarred. 'They must go through a lot of soap,' he added, ignoring the glare Morio was giving him.

Near the end of the hall the Ra-Kacherz stopped and went to the sinks either side of the hall, while the companions just stared at them.

'First we must perform the hand cleansing ceremony.' said Reece. 'Scrub and scrub your palms.'

'Scrub and scrub your palms.' echoed the Ra-Kacherz.

'Scrub and scrub the backs of your hands!'

'Scrub and scrub!'

'Scrub and scrub between your fingers!'

'Scrub and scrub!'

'Scrub and scrub under your nails!'

'Scrub and scrub!'

'Noradzeer!'

'Noradzeer!'

'I don't think we should drink their water.' Morio said seriously, looking at Reece as though he was insane.

Reece then turned and looked at the companions and when he saw they hadn't participated in the ceremony, his eyes hardened.

'Noradzeer!' Jasmine and Jarred quickly said and hurried over to a sink.

Reece then turned his gaze onto Morio, who hadn't moved. His eyes narrowed even more.

Rolling his eyes, Morio went to the skin next to Jarred and turned the water on and while Reece conducted the ceremony again, which Jasmine and Jarred participated in, Morio just let the cold water run over his hands, while thinking how stupid it all was.

Once the hand cleansing ceremony was over, they were then led into the dining hall and given a table to themselves. There were no chairs.

'I feel as though I'm five years old,' grumbled Jasmine. She and Morio's heads were just over the table.

'Are all tables like this?' asked Morio.

'Cause not.' grumbled Jasmine as the food was put on the table before them.

'How strange. There aren't any spoons or forks.' said Jasmine.

'At least they got something right,' Morio said happily, plopping a berry in his mouth. He then looked over at Jarred who had gasped. 'What's wrong Jarred?'

'It can't be.' muttered Jarred, staring at a brown square. 'Can it really be chocolate?' He then put a piece in his mouth. 'It is!' he exclaimed. 'I have not had chocolate since I left the palace!'

'What's chocolate?' asked Morio.

'Here, try some.' said Jarred, pushing the plate of chocolate over to the teenagers.

'Wow. It's delicious! I've never had anything like it!' said Jasmine helping herself to another piece. 'What's wrong, Morio? Don't you like it?' she added, catching sight of the frown Morio was wearing.

'I've had this before.' he muttered.

'What?'

'Chocolate. I've had it before. I can tell. It tastes so familiar.'

'You must have come from a rich and noble family then.' said Jarred thoughtfully. 'Only the rich can afford chocolate, unless your family made it themselves.'

'I don't know,' signed Morio, helping himself to some more fruit. 'Ah, Filli, there you are!' he added as Filli came out, tempted by the smell of food. 'Want a vegetable?' he asked, handing her a green vegetable, with she then took into her paws and began to nibble.

'EVIL!' Reece suddenly yelled, his eyes fixed horrified on Filli. 'The filthy one has brought evil to our halls. He has tried to destroy us! See! The creature crawls there on his body! Kill it! Kill it!'

'It's Filli!' gasped Jarred. 'They're afraid of her!'

'Run, Filli!' Morio told Filli urgently, and the little creature did as he said.

'She got away,' sighed Morio.

'But you won't,' growled Reece. 'Take them to the trial room!'

In the trial room, they stood for hours as the city was searched for Filli, but she was never found. This brought great relief to Morio, but it was soon time to learn their fate.

'Because of these unclean ones,' began Reece, starting the trial, 'evil is abroad in Noradz. They have broken our most sacred law. They claim it was done out of ignorance. I think they lie and deserve death. Others of the Nine believe them and think imprisonment should be their fate. Therefore, it will be left to the sacred Cup to decide.'

'You've got to be kidding me,' muttered Morio.

Reece heard him.

'You, boy, will be the one to decide your fate as that of your companions.' he said coldly. 'Come forth.'

Morio grudgingly obeyed and glared at Reece. Reece glared back before snapping his fingers and a serving boy came forward holding a golden cup with a strange symbol on it. Reece then showed Morio two cards. One depicting light and the other darkness. In other words, life and death. He then put them into the cup and told Morio to pick one, but Morio wasn't looking at him. Instead, he was looking at a girl who had served them at dinner. He watched as she mouthed something to him and his eyes widened.

_Both cards say "Death"._

Morio didn't move. No matter what card he drew, he and his friends would be sentenced to death, unless...Morio's eyes lingered on the fire next to him and he knew what he had to do. He confidently, drew a card, before purposely slipping and flinging the card into the fire.

'My bad,' said Morio, getting back to his feet. 'Not that it matters since you can still tell with card I drew by the one remaining in the cup.' He then took out the card to reveal to all that it was the card of darkness meaning he had chosen the card of "light".

'The unclean one has chosen life. The Cup has spoken.' Reece said reluctantly. 'Take them to the dungeons and continue your search for the creature that has befouled our city!'

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

For two days the companions sat silently in the cell. The entire time, Morio sat curled up in a little ball, trembling. He had never been in such a small area before with no way of escaping. Jarred sat with the boy and tried to comfort him, knowing that it must be hard for him. Then, they all jumped as the food flap was pushed open and through it, they could see the blue eyes of the serving girl. Jasmine leaped to her feet and hurried over to her.

'The First Ra-Kacher gave orders that he and he alone would bring you food and water,' she whispered. 'But - I fear that he may have forgotten. Have you eaten?'

'No one had brought us anything since they locked us up.' Jasmine said quietly.

'And there's no way he forgot,' said a bitter Morio, speaking for the first time in days. 'He has wanted to get rid of us since the very beginning. The sacred cup nonsense was proof of that!'

'That's not true!' whispered the girl.

'You were there. You saw what he did.'

'Please!' said Jarred, leaving Morio's side and standing at the door with Jasmine. 'Unbolt this door and let us out of here. That's all we ask of you!'

'I can't do that.' said the girl. 'You brought that evil thing to our halls and it still hasn't been found! People are crying out in their sleep, scared that the evil creature will attack them!'

'How dare you call her an evil creature!' snapped Morio, getting some of his stubborn and outgoing personality back. 'Filli is not evil! She is one of the most gentlest creatures alive! She is my friend and my family!'

'It's your friend and family?' The girl said, clearly confused.

'Where we come from, animals like Filli are not considered evil.' Jasmine explained gently. 'We meant your people no harm. If you don't let us out of this cell, you know what is going to happen to us.'

'All right,' she said, opening the door, before gasping, 'What have I done?'

'The right thing.' Jarred said quietly. 'We will make sure that we get out of the city fast, but which way do we go and where are our belongings, - er -?'

'Tira. There is no way out. Every gate is locked and guarded.'

'No matter how well guarded every city has at least one escape route.'

'Well, there is the Hole,' Tira said hesitantly.

'Tira, please take us there, we need your help!' said Jasmine.

Tira bit her lip and nodded, before leading them to the kitchens where the Hole was located.

'This is the kitchen,' whispered Tira, stopping before a door. 'The Hole is on the other side, but you should know, this leads to a walkway the Ra-Kacherz use to watch the food preparations.' She then slipped through the door and the companions followed her. The sight that met their eyes astonished them.

They were standing on a narrow metal walkway. Far below laid the great kitchens of Noradz, clattering with sound and blazing light. The kitchens were huge and filled with working people dressed as Tira was, but all in gleaming white.

'Where did all this food come from?' gasped Jarred.

'I have never seen so much!' added Jasmine. 'Are there cooks working here night and day?' she added to Tira.

'Yes, but only a small amount of the food prepared is eaten. Most of what's cooked does not pass the inspection.' answered Tira. 'The food that does not pass is placed in bins and is disposed of, through the Hole. The same way you need to escape through the city.'

'We should go on by ourselves from here,' said Jarred. 'Thanks for your help, Tira.'

He then led the way across the walkway and through the door on the opposite side.

They soon found the Hole and stood at a distance examining it.

'There's something spooky about it.' Jasmine said after a while.

'And without our weapons it would be foolish for us to go in there.' added Jarred.

'But we have no choice, Dad. We need to get out of here and continue the quest.'

'You'll have to leave without me, then.' said Morio.

'What?'

'I only came to see the way out, but I'm not leaving without getting my dagger. It is the last thing I have of my past. And I'm especially not leaving without Filli.'

'But Morio...'

'Look, you two started the quest without me, so you should be fine to continue it without me!' With that said, Morio ran back the way they had come, but he was soon backing up again as he came face to face with an angry Reece.

'How did you escape from my dungeons?' he demanded, looking at the three of them.

'As if we'd tell you!' snapped Morio.

Reece's eyes smiled horrible, before lashing the whip he carried at Morio, getting him on his shoulder. Morio let out a cry of pain.

'Leave him alone!' yelled Jarred, running at Reece, but he too got hit by the whip and was on the ground in seconds.

'You people have brought evil to my city and now you will feel me wrath!' Reece said coldly, and was about to attack Jarred again when there was a dull ringing thump and Reece fell to the ground, where he laid unconscious. Tira was standing over Reece's crumpled body. Her eyes glazed with fear. In her left hand were the companions' belongings and in her right was the frying pan she had just used to attack Reece.

Morio, Jasmine and Jarred took their belongings off Tira, before telling her to leave as they heard the sound of hurried footsteps. Tira left without hesitation and the group turned to face the three Ra-Kacherz that had appeared.

'The unclean ones!' gasped one of the Ra-Kacherz, before catching sight of Reece. 'Master Reece! You will pay for this!' he added to the trio as he and the other two Ra-Kacherz drew their whips.

Jasmine and Jarred drew their swords while Morio withdrew tow daggers. For a long time they just stared at each other, daring the opposite party to make the first move when Filli suddenly appeared, startling the Ra-Kacherz and while their attention was one Filli, the trio attacked. Pretty soon, the three Ra-Kacherz laid unconscious on the floor with Reece and Filli was once more sitting comfortably on Morio's shoulder and licking his face.

'Now that we've got everything, I guess we can go.' Jasmine said, looking down the entrance to the Hole once more.

'Do you remember what Tira said as she led us to the Hole?' Morio asked. 'She said that only the Ra-Kacherz can use it safely. What if the safety has something to do with their uniforms? After all, they do dress differently to everyone else.'

'Good idea,' said Jarred.

They wasted no time and began to strip the three Ra-Kacherz they had defeated. They dressed quickly, pulling the red garments over their own clothes and boots over their own shoes. Once dressed, they hurried down and out of the Hole, and an hour later, they were safely out of Noradz.

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page: <strong>link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 18 January 2012

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FAIR USE ONLY.**


	6. The City of the Rats

**CHAPTER FIVE: THE CITY OF THE RATS**

A day later, Morio, Jasmine and Jarred stood upon the banks of the Broad River. In the distance they could see the City of the Rats.

'So, any ideas on how we get across?' Morio asked his companions, after standing there in silence for the past two minutes. 'Cause I'm not swimming across.' he added stubbornly.

'And there's nothing around but reeds, so making a raft is out of the question, too.' said Jarred. 'I suppose we could look from a boat -'

'But we don't know how long that will take,' interrupted Jasmine, who was looking for something in her bag. 'Anyway, remember that free gift that Tom gave us? The Water Eaters?'

'Yeah, what about them?' asked Morio.

'I read the instructions and it said to scatter them sparingly whenever dry land is required.' explained Jasmine.

'Yeah right,' snorted Morio. 'Do you really think whatever's in there could work on an entire river.'

'Do you have any better ideas?' snapped Jasmine.

'I don't see any harm in trying.' said Jarred loudly, when he saw Morio open his mouth angrily. 'Pass them here, Jas.'

Jasmine handed her father the tin of Water Eaters, but continued to glare at Morio. Morio glared back.

Jarred walked over to the river's edge and pried the lid off the tin box. Inside were some crystals that were slightly smaller than a pumpkin seed. After taking one crystal out of the tin, Jarred through it into the river and waited for something to happen.

Nothing happened.

Jasmine joined Jarred by the water and together they continued to wait for something to happen. And then, a huge, blue crystal rose from the water and began to suck the surrounding water inside, making a muddy path for them.

'I guess they do work.' Jarred said happily. 'At least we've solved one problem.'

He then picked up his bag and walked along the muddy path. Morio and Jasmine soon followed.

'Watch your step!' Jarred called back to them as Jasmine slipped and grabbed on to Morio. They nearly landed face first in the mud.

'Thanks for the warning.' Jasmine grumbled.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

The crossing of the Broad River was a strange, yet frightening journey. Each of them fearing that the crystals might give way and the water would come crashing down upon them. This scared Morio the most seeing as he couldn't swim. An hour later they were on dry land and not a moment too soon. As soon as Morio had made it, the crystal pillars collapsed and the river was back to normal.

Morio paled.

'If we had been out there any longer, we might have drowned.' he muttered.

'True. But we all made it across safely, so why does it matter?' asked Jasmine.

Morio didn't answer.

'Well, I don't know about the two of you, but I'm pretty hungry.' said Jarred as an awkward silence began to fall upon them. 'Why don't we camp here for the night?'

'But we're so close to the City of the Rats!' said Jasmine, looking over towards the distant city.

'You've got to be kidding me!' Morio exclaimed angrily as Kree landed on his shoulder. 'You want to go there right now?'

'I don't think we have time to rest.'

'I don't get it. What's the difference if we get there tonight to tomorrow?' demanded Morio as Jarred groaned. He wasn't in the mood to listen to one of their fights.

'We're so close to where the third gem is hidden. I'd have thought that you'd want to hurry too!'

'What's the point of the whole thing anyway? Is anything really going to happen when we get all the gems?'

'What do you mean by that?' Jasmine asked quickly, before exchanging a look with Jarred.

'Exactly what I just asked you.' snapped Morio. 'Do you know what is going to happen when we get all the gems? What about you, Jarred? Do you know what will happen?'

'With the Belt complete, we should have a better chance of finding the new heir of Deltora.' Jarred answered quietly. 'And once found and is wearing the Belt of Deltora, the Shadow Lord shall be driven out of Deltora once more. Anyway,' he continued more cheerfully, 'let's have something to eat. Jas, can you get Tom's fire-making beads out of your bag, along with the No Bakes, the stuff that becomes loaves of bread from just adding water.'

Jasmine complied and moments later, they were all sitting around a burning fire eating roasted loaves of bread.

'I have to admit, this is pretty good!' Jasmine said as she stuffed more bread into her mouth.

'I guess,' muttered Morio, glancing over at her.

He then looked over her shoulder and his eyes widened.

'Jarred! Jasmine!' Morio yelled, jumping to his feet. 'Rats!'

Frowning, Jasmine and Jarred looked behind them, before also jumping to their feet.

Spilling from the city, covering the ground, surging towards them like a long, low wave, was a scurrying, seething mass of rats. And it wasn't just a handful of rats either. No, there were thousands of huge rats hurrying towards them, driven by the scent of food and warmth.

'Quick! Get into the river!' yelled Jarred, grabbing his sword and running towards the river. Jasmine followed his example immediately, while Morio was a little hesitant.

By the time they were in waist deep water, they saw that the rats had reached their campsite. They were surging over the food and other belongings left scattered upon the ground, gobbling and tearing with needle-sharp teeth. They then went for Morio, Jasmine and Barda.

'They're swimming for us!' Jarred shouted, struggling to draw his sword and pull it to the surface. 'By the heavens, will nothing stop them?'

Morio was already slashing his stolen Grey Guard daggers and dead rats in their dozens were being swept away by the tide. Beside his, Jasmine and Jarred were swinging their swords across the water, gasping with the effort of the task, especially Jasmine.

'Kree! What are you doing?' screamed Morio as the black bird dove in amongst the rats before flying back into the sky with something in his claws. He was quick enough to avoid being attack by the rats.

Kree flew back towards the river and dropped something in front of Jarred. Jarred quickly caught it as the tide began to take it away. It was the fire beads.

'Brilliant, Kree!' yelled Jarred. 'Morio! Jasmine! Keep them off me!'

'Right!'

Jarred took a fire bead out of its container and hit it hard with the handle of his sword. The moment it caught fire, he threw it at the shore edge and then did the same thing with another bead. Over and over he did the process and ended up creating a wall of fire to slow the rats down. It worked. The rats plunged into the river above and below the wall of fire, but the distance was too great for them and they were swept away by the tide.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

As dawn's dull red tinged lighted the sky, the wall of fire had died and the trio was back on the barren plains taking in the damage that the rats had done. There were small bones everywhere.

'They have even eaten their own dead.' said a disgusted Jarred.

'That's not surprising.' Morio said indifferently. 'They are desperate for food. It's not as though their dead would have cared.'

'They left the Ra-Kachar garments.' Jasmine said suddenly. She had just noticed that they had been left untouched while everything else was destroyed, besides a few other items. 'Wonder why.'

'The garments probably still bare the scent of the fungus from the Hole.' answered Morio, with a slight shrug.

'We will not survive another night on this plain.' said Jarred. 'We must enter the city now, if we are to enter at all. We should also wear the Ra-Kachar garments too. They will give us some protection, seeing as the rats don't like them. And we still have the pipe that blows bubbles of light.' Jarred's tired eyes fell upon the pipe they had bought at Tom's shop. 'If it works as we were told, it may be of some use.'

'You can't seriously be still planning on going into that city after what happened last night!' said a shocked Morio.

Jarred and Jasmine turned and looked at him.

'Of course we are. We know for a fact that the third gem is hidden there.' said a confused Jasmine.

'I'm not going with you.' Morio said suddenly, surprising his companions.

'What?' gasped Jasmine. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

'I've thought about it and this is where you carry on without me.' Morio said emotionlessly.

'But Morio - After everything we've been through –'

'What's the point if we're just going to put another king or queen on the throne?'

'What do you mean, Morio?' Jarred asked sharply.

'I've been thinking about what that stranger said back at Tom's shop. You know, about the thorns on the plains? He and I share the same views. It was the king's duty to keep that road clear of thorns, right?'

'Just get to the point.' snapped Jasmine.

'I know that the Shadow Lord has ruined Deltora, but the kings and queens of past are equally guilty. They turned their backs on their people!'

'True, but at the time, they were being cleverly manipulated over a process of many years.' Jarred said calmly.

'No offence, but I don't buy that for a second.' Morio said stubbornly. 'Surely they had minds of their own. Surely one of them would have thought it strange that all the people were happy. Do you honestly think that they were so blind that they couldn't see what was happening? And who says that this new heir will be any different? They could be just as blind! Or have you thought about the fact that they might not even want to be king? Or that they might not have any political knowledge? For all you know that might be like me! Someone with no education and would rather die than live in a palace!'

'Because it's their responsibility!' snapped Jasmine.

'That doesn't mean anything. If you were to say that I was to be king, I would go back to the Forests of Silence with no hesitation!'

'I can't believe you! How –'

'Enough.' Jarred suddenly growled. 'What good is it if Morio is fighting for something he doesn't believe in? There is no right or wrong in this situation. It's Morio's decision to make and that's it.'

'You're right, Jarred.' Morio said coolly. 'I began this quest only because the elder tree said I should, but he said nothing about me having to finish it. So good luck. I'm going home.'

He then turned and walked along the river's edge with Kree flying above him. Morio did not look back.

'I can't believe he's really leaving.' Jasmine said sadly.

'It was his choice to make.' Jarred said softly as he began to put the Ra-Kachar garments over his clothes. He was going to miss that boy. He'd probably end up missing Jasmine and Morio's arguments too.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

Father and daughter embarked into a maze of darkness, with walls alive with sound. Both of them waiting nervously for the rats to come at them.

'Damp and dark. Perfect if you are a rat.' grumbled Jarred as they got closer to the heart of the city.

'The Belt just got warm.' Jasmine told Jarred excitedly. 'We must be getting closer.'

'We should be on our guard. I doubt the rats are the only things guarding it.'

'Right.'

Together they continued down the dark corridors, not daring to light there path, when all of a sudden, part of the ceiling broke and rats in their millions came pouring out and surrounding them.

'We're surrounded!' growled Jarred as the rats climbing over their feet, making it impossible to move.

'Thankfully their not biting us because of the suits.' said Jasmine. 'But if we don't do something soon, we will drown in rats!'

'Jasmine! Get out the fire beads!' Jarred said suddenly. 'That ought to scare the rats away from us!'

'Great idea, Dad, but didn't you use the last of the bead last night? To make that wall of fire?'

'But I bought two bottles!'

'Are you sure? Cause I don't have the second bottle!'

Jasmine and Jarred exchanged a horrified look and knew that it would take some miracle for them to survive. A miracle is what they got. All of a sudden a small ball of fire came flying through the air and hit the ground scaring away some of the rats. Then another fire ball and another. Soon there wasn't a rat in sight.

'What the - ?'

'Why is it that I'm always saving you?' Morio asked as he jumped down from a nearby railing, and landed in front of them.

'What are you doing here?' demanded Jasmine.

'What no "Thank you, Morio"?' Morio asked sarcastically.

'You're right. We owe you our lives… again.' said Jarred.

'Yeah, whatever. It's dangerous here. We are in the rats den.'

'You're right. There is a way out over there.' said Jasmine, pointing down the corridor to where the third gem was located.

'So are you coming with us, Morio.' asked Jarred. 'I think it would be a lot safer if we all stuck together.'

Morio gave a small disbelieving laugh.

'Maybe for you,' he said. 'Remember, I'm the one that just saved your lives… again.'

Nevertheless, he did go with Jasmine and Jarred.

Together they pushed through the dark, damp maze of vanished grandeur and ruins. And then Jasmine abruptly stopped and began to look around.

'Now's not the time to stop and take a break.' grumbled Morio as he tried to calm Filli. She was trembling against his neck. Kree was waiting outside.

'That voice… didn't you hear it?' whispered Jasmine.

'No one was speaking, Jas, except for Morio when he was whispering to Filli.' replied Jarred, looking down at his daughter, concerned.

'No, it wasn't Morio's voice. It was deeper than his, and it was as cold as ice.'

'Oh stop, Jasmine. It's creepy enough in here without you adding to it.' Morio snapped.

'Just listen for a moment.'

Morio and Jarred listened.

'There! Did you hear it then?' Jasmine asked, looking between the two.

'Serious, what are you on about – Hey! Where are you going?' yelled Jarred as Jasmine suddenly took off.

Morio and Jarred ran after her.

Jasmine did not stop running until she reached a wide passage.

'Jasmine! Never do that again!' snarled Jarred.

Jasmine wasn't listening.

'Who are you?' she called out into the darkness.

Morio and Jarred exchanged another worried, but nervous look. Something was wrong.

Morio took the pipe that blew bubbles of light out of Jasmine's pocket and blew several bubbles. The glowing bubbles drifted upwards, lighting the passage in which they stood. Turned out that it wasn't actually a passage, but rather a large meeting hall; and in the middle of the hall was a giant snake. The coils of its shining body, as thick as trunk of an ancient tree, while its eyes were flat, cold and filled with ancient wickedness. On its head was a crown. The opal, the third gem they had been looking for, was in the centre.

'Oh my –,' gasped Morio as Jasmine began to remove the Belt of Deltora from her waist.

'Jasmine! Stop! What are you doing?' exclaimed Jarred, grabbing hold of his daughter's arms to prevent her from removing the Belt.

'No! Let go of me! I have to do this!' yelled Jasmine, struggling against Jarred.

She managed to get one hand free and grabbed hold of the Belt. She ended up touching the topaz.

'Stop it Jasmine! You must never take it off!'

'I know.' Jasmine wondered what made her want to take the Belt off in the first place.

'So, you've touched the topaz.' said the snake. Jarred and Morio now understood what voice Jasmine had been talking about. 'No matter. I am Reeah! The Master's chosen one!' They didn't need to ask who his master was. They all knew that it was the Shadow Lord. 'And I will soon have that Belt of yours!'

'Then you'll have to fight me for it!' Jasmine snapped, raising her sword. Jarred did the same thing beside her, while Morio drew one of his daggers.

Reeah didn't move.

'I don't understand; why hasn't it attacked us yet?' Morio questioned, eyeing the snake suspiciously.

'It's because of the power of the ruby.' Jasmine answered as she just realised it herself. 'It is written in the Belt of Deltora that it is an antidote to snake venom and wards off evil spirits. Isn't that right, Reeah?'

'It is true that the magic you have in your possession is strong, Jasmine of Del. But I assure you it's not strong enough to save you!'

'Dad. Morio. I'm going to distract him for as long as I can. Why he is distracted, grab the opal!' Jasmine whispered.

'No, Jasmine! It's too dangerous!' Jarred said firmly.

Jasmine looked at him apologetically.

'We don't have a choice.' she said, before running off towards the snake, yelling at it.

'Why couldn't she be more like her mother?' groaned Jarred, before he too ran off to try and get the opal.

Morio, however, quickly examined the terrain, before running up a fallen beam and jumping upon one that was just above Reeah. He then carefully walked across it. He then watched in horror as it lunged at Jasmine and catching her in his mouth.

'JASMINE!' screamed Jarred. 'NO!'

Morio knew that he had to act now. He jumped off the beam and plunged his dagger straight through Reeah's right eye. The snake gave a terrible scream and dropped Jasmine, who went hurtling towards the ground and blacking out.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

Jasmine groaned and slowly opened her eyes.

'Oh thank goodness!' exclaimed a relieved Jarred, quickly embracing his daughter. He was afraid that he had lost her.

Jasmine frowned and looked over at Morio, who was rebottling the bottle that held some nectar from the Lilies of Life. Suddenly, the past events came flooding back to her and she realised how close she had been to dying.

'I'm okay, Dad.' lied Jasmine. She was actually quite shaken up. 'And thank you, Morio.' she added, looking over at him as Jarred reluctantly let her go.

'For what?'

'For coming back. You've now saved me three times.'

'Well someone has to.' Morio said, before smiling.

'What made you change your mind?' asked Jarred.

Morio shrugged.

'I figured there had to be a reason that we met and for the old tree to tell me to go with you. I also felt as though I was doing the wrong thing by leaving.' he said. 'Besides, everything happens for a reason. There is a reason that I was meant to come back to you.'

Jarred gave a small sad chuckle.

'Endon use to say the same thing. Over and over again he would tell me that everything happens for a reason. I never believed him… until now.'

'What happened?' Jasmine asked as Jarred helped her stand up. 'How did we get out?'

'Morio stabbed the beast's eye and stole his crown. Driven mad with pain, Reeah started thrashing around and brought the pillars down upon him.' explained Jarred.

'And just for good measure, I threw a few fire beads into the mess.' added Morio, with a satisfied smile.

'Where is the crown?' Jasmine asked.

Jarred wordlessly handed her the crown.

Jasmine carefully removed the opal and placed it into the Belt.

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 4 March 2012  
><strong>Updated:<br>Beta:**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FAIR USE ONLY.**


	7. Rithmere

**CHAPTER SIX: RITHMERE**

One night and part of a day had passed since Morio, Jasmine and Jarred left the City of the Rats in flames. The faint smell of smoke hung in the still air, though the city was now just a blur on the horizon at their backs. However, it felt as though they had been walking even longer. Hunger and exhaustion were making the journey seem endless, and the fact that the landscape never changed did not help. It ended up making Morio slightly depressed. He was not used to such a landscape. Hour by hour the companions had trudged over bare, baked earth hemmed in on both sides by the waters of the Broad River – waters so wide that they could barely see the far banks.

Though all of them badly needed rest, they knew that they had to keep moving. The plume of smoke staining the blue sky at their backs was like a signal to their enemies. It was a sign that something of great importance had happened in the terrible place where the third stone of the Belt of Deltora had been hidden. Should the Shadow Lord become aware that the stone had been taken; his servants would begin searching for the thieves. And if the companions didn't get off the plains in time, they would be in great danger with nowhere to hide.

A day later the companions found a safe place to cross the river. On the opposite bank was an orchard, but the companions didn't pay any attention to what fruit was growing. They focused more on finding a place to rest. They soon found a good spot under one of the orchard trees. Groaning with relief, the three companions sank to the ground. The soft green grass cushioned their aching bones. And moments later, they were asleep.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

When Jasmine awoke, she was alone. Birds were calling softly above her head. It was cool, and the light was dim. Dawn had arrived. Jasmine sat up and looked around, wondering where her father and Morio were. She soon got her answer as Morio and Jarred came into view. Jarred was carrying an arm full of apples.

'Morning, sleepy head.' Jarred smiled down at his daughter as he handed her an apple.

'They're really good!' said Morio, who had a half-eaten one in his hand. 'Those trees over there were complaining that they had too much fruit,' he continued as Jarred and Jasmine began eating their own apples. 'So I figured we'd help them out by picking some.' He then finished his apple and jumped as a high pitched voice rang out.

'Thieves!'

Morio, Jarred and Jasmine looked towards the source of the yelling and saw a little old woman marching towards them. She was so plump, and so wrapped and bundled in shawls, that she seemed completely round. Thin brown hair was screwed up into a tiny took now on her head. Her face was creased and crinkled all over like a wizened apple, and red with anger. She was frowning and furiously shaking her fist.

'Thieves!' she shrieked. 'Vagabonds! Give them back! Give them back!'

'I'm sorry, ma'am. We didn't realise that they belonged to anyone,' Jasmine apologised.

'I guess it was our mistake,' Jarred handed her the apples in his arms.

The old lady snatched them back and began to count them. Her eyes then widened, before narrowing with anger.

'Cheat! Where are the others?' she demanded. 'You stole nine apples so nine must be returned! They must all be accounted for. How else can I fill my quota?'

Jarred cleared his throat awkwardly.

'I'm very sorry, madam, but we cannot return them. I fear they are already eaten.'

'_Eaten_?'

The old woman seemed to swell, and went so red that Jasmine feared she might explode.

'We – we beg your pardon,' she stammered. 'We were just so hungry, and –'

The old woman threw back her head, raised her arms, shook her shawls and gave a terrible, high pitched cry. Immediately she was surrounded by a dark, whirling, humming cloud. Bees; thousands of bees. They had been riding on her back, clustered under her shawls. Now they were swarming in the air around her, waiting for the order to attack.

The companions quickly stumbled back.

'You thought that I was all alone, didn't you?' the old lady said coldly. 'You figured that it would be easy to steal from a little old lady! My guards are small, but many; and act as one at my command! Now you will suffer a thousand stings for what you have done!'

Jasmine quickly reached into her father's pocket and grabbed some coins.

'Here, please take these in return for your apples!' Jasmine threw them at the woman, who quickly bent down and began to pick them up.

'Wait! You can't take all of that! That's too much for just three apples!' exclaimed Jarred, before tensing up as the bees began to swarm around him.

'You keep quiet!' snapped the old lady. 'And no sudden movements! You see, it doesn't take much to anger my guards. Why, even I must use smoke to calm them down when I take their honey from the hive. Even I.'

She made a soft sound and the cloud of bees returned to her and disappeared as the creatures returned to the folds of her shawls. She tucked the coins carefully away and scolded at the companions.

'Let this be a lesson to you! And tell all your fellow vagabonds that the next thieves who come here will receive no mercy!'

Jarred, Jasmine and Morio hesitated.

'Go on!' the old woman shrilled. 'Get back to the road where you came from!'

'We did not come from the road, old woman! And we are not thieves, either!' snapped Morio, unable to remain quiet any longer.

The woman grew very still.

'If you did not come from the road, then how did you get here?' she murmured after a prolonged silence. 'There is no other way into my orchard, except –'

She suddenly gasped and slowly raised her head to look across the water and away to the horizon where a faint drift of smoke still rose over the Plain of the Rats. A look of dread crosses her wrinkled face as she took in their tired and rough appearances, putting two and two together.

'Get out of here. Now! If you are seen here not even my bees will be able to protect me.'

'How do we find the road?' Jarred asked quickly.

'Go through the orchard.' She pointed to the orchard behind her. 'There is a gate on the far side. And forget what I said. Tell _no-one_ you were here!'

'You can count on that,' said Jarred. 'As I presume we can count on you forgetting that you ever saw us?'

The old woman nodded and the companions quickly headed for the road.

Moments later, the companions were standing in front of the gate that led to the orchard. A sign was nailed to the gate.

'_Queen Bee Honey_,' Jarred read out loud. 'Wow. The palace guards use to drink this stuff! Endon and I sometimes use to sneak into the kitchen and take some cider for ourselves. It gives quite a jolt of energy when you're feeling tired. Huh, I always wondered where it came from. And I assume that she was Queen Bee herself. That explains all that talk about a quota.'

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

Several days later the companions were walking on a grounded road, heading towards Rithmere. They had decided that it would be safer to walk with a crowd where they wouldn't draw any attention to themselves. They also agreed that they needed to go into town to try to make some more money, seeing as Jasmine gave the last, bar a silver coin, Queen Bee.

On the road to Rithmere, they heard a man yelling, 'Gather up folks if you are interested in making a little cash before Rithmere!'

'What did he say?' Jarred and Jasmine said in unison. They hurried over to where a small crowd had gathered. Morio followed a little more slowly.

When they arrived at the gathered crowd, Morio squeezed through to see what all the fuss was about.

A fat man with long, greasy hair was sitting behind a table with a wheel decorated with brightly colour pictures of birds and coins. A purple cloth hid the underneath of the table.

'Ladies and gentlemen, we have a player!' said the man. Morio turned his attention to the man and saw that he was looking at him and Kree, who was perched on his shoulder. 'A bird lover. How'd you like to win some money, son?'

'I don't want to play your game,' Morio said bluntly, looking disinterested now. 'Besides, I'm pretty sure my friends and I don't have enough money. We've only got one silver coin.'

'No, no. That one silver coin can get you into the game. And that is where you want to be.'

'Why?'

'Well, what if I told you that you could turn that lonely coin of yours into five or even ten silver coins?' the man pitched, exciting the crowd. 'You heard right folks! That's two things I never lie about; and that's money and money! But a coin on any number and if the arrow lands there, that's how many coins you win! But if it lands on a bird, you will win this beautifully, hand carved, wooden bird.' He showed them the wooden bird. 'Let me make you rich! All you have to do is beat the bird!' A white dove landed on the edge of the table and spun the wheel.

'If I'd played, I'd have picked number four,' Morio said indifferently. He couldn't see anything exciting about the game.

'Oh my! Look at that!' exclaimed the man when the arrow stopped on number four. 'That was a quadruple! If you had made that wager, I would have lost for silver coins.'

'I guess you should have bet, huh?' Jasmine said to the stunned and slightly suspicious Morio.

'But there is no reason to stop at four, if you think about it. No way!' the man continued. 'You could get five, six or even ten times you bet! Now couldn't you?'

This excited the crowd even more and they all started placing bets.

'Do you think we should play, Dad?' Jasmine asked excitedly.

'I don't think your mother would approve of us gambling, Jas,' Jarred said hesitantly.

'So? She doesn't have to find out. Besides, we need the money!'

'I suppose. I guess one coin's not enough to feed us all anyway. What do you think, Morio?'

However, Morio wasn't listening. He was talking to Filli instead.

'Are you hungry, Filli? Hang on; we're going to get something to eat real soon. Sorry, Jarred, what did you say?' he asked, looking up at Jarred, while Filli jumped off his shoulder and began to explore.

'I asked whether you thought we should play or not.'

'You two are the money experts, not me. I'm happy as long as we get something to eat. Besides, I trust your judgement.' Morio gave an uncaring shrug.

Jarred put in their silver coin and… they lost.

'Here you go, son. A beautiful bird for your lovely lady friend,' said the man, handing Morio a small wooden bird.

'Why didn't he just give it to you in the first place?' Morio asked, handing Jasmine the little bird. 'And what's wrong with your face, Jasmine? It's going red.'

'Ah, its, er, nothing,' mumbled Jasmine, while Jarred laughed.

'If you say so.' Morio walked off down the road, while the rest of the crowd continued to gamble. He suddenly stopped when he realised Filli wasn't on his shoulder.

'Where's Filli? Hey Filli, come on!' he yelled.

Moments later, Filli dashed out from underneath the table, accidently getting caught up in the purple cloth and brought the table down as she ran to Morio. The crowd gasped, then began to roar with anger. For on the ground, under the table was a pedal with some wires that led up through the table-top to the wheel.

'He can stop and start the wheel at will!' someone yelled. 'He uses his feet! He cheats!'

The crowd pressed angrily forward. The fraud swept up the wheel and leaped to his feet, before running off, scattering money and wooden birds as he went. The crowd then began to fight amongst themselves to get the coins that he dropped.

'Well, he got what was coming to him,' Jasmine said indifferently, before walking off towards Rithmere. The companions had stopped to wait for Filli and had seen what a fraud that man really was.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

A couple of hours later, they were in Rithmere and they noticed that the citizens all seemed to be happy and celebrating something.

'I don't think we'll be able to make any money here,' Jasmine said gloomily as they walked through town.

'Wait a minute, look at that!' Jarred said, pointing to a sign up ahead.

'_Champion Inn… Official inn of the Games… For competitors only… Bed and board… Shockingly low rates,_' Jasmine read off the sign, before turning to her companions. 'What do think?'

'That would be a great idea, Jasmine,' Morio said abnormally cheerfully, before saying coldly, 'If we were completely broke, that is.'

Jasmine nostrils flared.

Jarred, sensing danger, quickly said, 'That's not the sign I was talking about.' He motioned to the sign a short distance from it.

'_The Rithmere Games… Come one, come all! Test your strength and skill! Every finalist gets _ONE HUNDRED GOLD COINS _and the Grand champion will receive _ONE THOUSAND!' Jasmine could not believe what she was reading.

'If all of us became finalists, that's three hundred gold coins!' Jarred said excitedly.

'Then we could buy a lot of food to really stuff ourselves, right?' Morio asked equally excited, not that his excitement was directed towards the money. He still didn't quite understand money.

'You bet!' Jasmine chimed in. 'Let's go check it out.' She then ran off with Jarred and Morio right behind her.

When they arrived at the Champion Inn, it appeared, at first, to be empty. However, as Jasmine rang the small, silver bell on the counter, they could hear the jangling of keys and turned to see a plump woman walking towards them with a big smile on her face.

'Good afternoon,' she said. 'I'm Mother Brightly, the owner of this establishment. Are you here to compete?'

'We wish to, but we are unsure how to enter,' replied Jarred.

'Then you have come to the right place!' Mother Brightly said cheerfully. 'This is where competitors register and stay during the games.'

'Also, we don't have any money, but we'd gladly work for our keep,' Jarred began, but Mother Brightly looked horrified at the very thought.

'No, no, no! Competitors do not work! No, you must rest and eat! No one pays at the Champion Inn!' she said as she sat behind the reception desk. 'Now, if you'd be so kind, I need to get your names and hometowns,' she added, opening a book and readying a quill.

'Right… my name is – Berry,' Jarred said after the slightest hesitation. Morio and Jasmine looked way, trying not to laugh. 'Of… Bushtown.'

'Bushtown? I don't believe I'm familiar with that town,' said Mother Brightly, scribbling what Jarred had just said into her book.

'It's a small town up north,' Jarred said dismissingly. 'And these are my children; Birdie and – Twig. Obviously from Bushtown too.' He ignored the looks Morio and Jasmine were giving him.

'Very good,' said Mother Brightly, closing her book and looking up. 'Please follow me.'

The companions followed their hostess into another room that housed a large set of scales, a long ruler, and a big cupboard.

'Please give me your weapons to lock away for safe keeping,' she said as she went to the big cupboard and unlocked it to reveal a cupboard full of over competitor weapons. 'They will be returned at the end of your stay.'

The companions hesitated, before Jarred handed over his sword, followed by Jasmine and Morio, though Jarred and Jasmine noticed only two of his three daggers were handed over. His third remained hidden.

'Thank you. I will begin your check-up,' said Mother Brightly.

After doing a thorough check-up of the companions, making sure that they were in top condition to compete, and righting everything down in her book, Mother Brightly turned to them smiling.

'You all need food and rest, but otherwise you are all strong and should do well,' she said. 'One last thing, before I show you to the dining hall. What are your special talents?'

The companions stared at her blankly.

'Let me guess, yours is strength, isn't it, Berry?' Mother Brightly said helpfully when she saw that the companions had no idea what she was on about.

'Huh? Oh, yes… I guess,' muttered Jarred.

'Thought so… Birdie?'

'Um? I'm fast on my feet…' Jasmine trailed of.

'So Speed,' Mother Brightly wrote SPEED next to Jasmine's fake name, just as she had written STRENGTH next to Jarred's. 'Twig?'

'I can climb, balance in high places, swing and jump,' Morio replied with a slight shrug.

'So agility,' she wrote that next to Morio's fake name. 'Agility, strength and speed. Together you three must make a fine team. Now wait here a moment. I will not be long.'

The moment she had left the room, the two teenagers turned angrily to Jarred.

'Birdie? Seriously? That was the first name you could think of? Why not use Mum's name?' Jasmine demanded angrily.

'At least it's not as bad as Twig!' Morio snapped. 'Is that even a name?'

'Calm down you two,' Jarred sighed.

'How did those names even come to you?'

'You have one of Kree's small, black feather's in your hair,' Jarred explained. 'And he's a bird so the name Birdie came to me. As for Twig… Prince Lief came into my head and seeing as it's pronounced as "leaf", I then thought of a twig with a leaf on it.'

'Huh, and here I was thinking that you named him that because his thin enough to be a twig,' Jasmine teased.

'Speak for yourself!' Morio snapped.

'Stop your bickering,' Jarred groaned as Mother Brightly walked back in with three armbands in her hands. She handed one to each of them.

'Do not take these off, even to sleep,' she advised. 'They mark you as official competitors and entitle you to food, drink, and entrance to the Games. Now – you will no doubt wish to eat, so if you'd please follow me.' She handed Jarred a room key then led them to the dining hall.

The moment the companions entered the hall, all the other competitors turned and looked at them. It wasn't want you would call a warm welcoming. As they headed to an empty table, Jarred calmly ignored all the cold looks they were getting, while Jasmine looked nervously around at the other competitors. Morio, however, glared right back.

Once at their table, Jasmine leaned forward and whispered to her two companions, 'That stranger with the scar from Tom's shop is over there.' She nodded her head towards the stranger.

Morio and Jarred casually glanced over at him.

'Coincidence,' Morio shrugged, putting a piece of fruit in his mouth, before handing one to Filli.

'Maybe,' muttered Jasmine, looking back at the scarred stranger.

After they had eaten as much as they could, the companions headed to their room.

Just as they were about to arrive outside their room, the lights went out without any warning. They then heard someone running towards them. Each of them was flung into the wall, and there was an angry hiss of pain, before the person who attacked them ran away and the lights came back on to reveal and empty corridor.

'Morio… Jasmine… are you two okay?' Jarred asked quickly, going into father mood.

'I'm okay,' muttered Jasmine, getting to her feet and looking over at a satisfied Morio. His third dagger, the dagger he had since before he ended up in the Forests of Silence, was in his hand and its tip was stained with blood.

'That should teach them that we're not easy targets,' he growled, before pulling a rag out of his pocket and cleaning his dagger's blade. 'Only cowards ambush from behind and in the dark!'

Jarred suddenly swore.

'What's wrong, Dad?' asked Jasmine, worriedly. Her father usually didn't swear, not counting any blacksmith injuries.

'They took our key and left this note in its place,' Jarred replied, showing them a piece of paper. He then read it out loud. '_Do not try to win tomorrow or you will regret it_.'

'Coward,' Morio growled, before turning to Kree. 'Can you guard the door tonight? You can them sleep tomorrow while we compete.'

Kree squawked willingly and went and perched in the shadows.

'If anyone tries to break in or lock us in, Kree will alert us!' Morio said happily, before entering the room and looking around.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

The next morning was the beginning of the Games. The companions joined the other competitors outside in an arena. The stands were packed with cheering fans.

The first event consisted of all competitors fighting each other, until only eight competitors remained; Orwen, Joanna, Neridah, Glock, the companions and the scarred stranger, Barda.

It was then that the companions noticed the blood stained scarf wrapped around Barda's neck. It was then that they knew who had attacked them.

The next round consisted of the eight competitors breaking up into pairs to narrow the finalists down to four competitors. Jarred faced Barda in a competition of strength… and lost. Barda was stronger than he lost. Neridah and Jasmine fought each other, which seemed to turn into a catfight. Jasmine ended up losing. Joanna and Glock entered up in battle, which resulted Joanna losing consciousness. Finally, there was Morio and Orwen competing. The crowd found that most entertaining as Morio humiliated Orwen by dancing continuously out of his reach. He eventually made Orwen lose his balance and fall out of the raised arena.

Finally the final round came where all four competitors were to fight until one remained standing. However, before the competitors competed, a dark-haired young serving man, roughly Jasmine and Morio's age, came along with four foaming mugs of Queen Bee Cider.

He first offered Barda the drinks.

'Thanks, kid,' Barda muttered, accepting one of the four mugs and calmly drinking some.

'HEY!' yelled Glock, startling the boy. 'Why are you serving this loser first?' He snatched a mug off the tray and drank deeply, before slamming it down and looking back at the boy. 'Everyone knows that I'm going to win the championship this year! It'd be smart of you to show me some respect, kid. Otherwise you might just get hurt!'

'I'm sorry!' the boy said with a note of fear in his voice.

'It's alright,' Barda said quietly. 'Don't worry, Dain. There is no need to be afraid of him.'

Dain nodded, and went to serve Neridah and Morio, who had been talking quietly. To be precise, Neridah was flirting with Morio, who was oblivious to her advances. He just thought she was being weird.

'Thanks!' Neridah said, also accepting a mug. 'This is really perfect! I've been really thirsty since beating Twig's sister, Birdie!' She too drank deeply.

Dain looked at Morio, who shook his head.

'No thanks. I'd rather have some water.'

'But water isn't going to give you the energy you need to fight!' Dain urged.

'Maybe, but that stuff tastes disgusting!'

During their breakfast, before the first round in the games, Mother Brightly had poured them all some Queen Bee Cider…

'_Here you go, Twig,' Mother Brightly said cheerfully, pouring some Queen Bee Cider into his cup. 'This will give you enough energy for the first round.'_

'_What is it?' Morio asked as Jasmine and Jarred drank their own Queen Bee Cider._

'_It's Queen Bee Cider, of course,' she replied before walking off to serve Glock._

'_So this is Queen Bee Cider,' Morio muttered. 'Is it any good?' he added to Jasmine._

'_It's delicious!' she exclaimed._

'_Hmm.' _

_Morio lifted his cup to his lips and took a generous mouthful, before spitting it out into his cup._

'_That's disgusting!' he said loudly, making the other competitors look over at him, while Jasmine and Jarred roared with laughter. 'How can you drink that stuff? Yuck!'_

'_The look on your face was priceless!' Jasmine laughed._

_Morio stuck his tongue out at her._

See that Morio wasn't going to drink her mug; Glock hurried forward, snatched it off the tray and scoffed it down.

'Why does it matter anyway?' Glock said once he had drunk the last drop. 'You could drink a galleon of that stuff and still be puny. You better hope you don't come up against me, kid. If you do, I'll snap you like a twig!'

'Hilarious,' Morio said disdainfully. For the hundredth time, he wished that Jarred had thought of a different name.

Suddenly, Neridah made a funny noise and began to fall to the ground. Morio caught her before she hit the ground. He then tore his gaze away from the unconscious teenager and looked up at Glock who was gasping, before he too fell to the ground, unconscious.

While official healers ran out with stretchers to see to Glock and Neridah, Dain took off, unnoticed, and Morio turned suspiciously to Barda, who was watching everything calmly.

'You put something into their drinks, didn't you?' he hissed at the older man. 'You know that boy! And don't even try to deny it, I saw you talking to him before!'

'Don't be foolish, little boy,' Barda said quietly.

'You're a coward! First you attack me and my companions, and now you drug your competitors, also you can win? Well let me tell you, your efforts will be in vain!'

'We shall see,' Barda said quietly, while the commentator addressed the crowd.

Eventually, it was time for Barda and Morio to fight.

Barda lunged at Morio, who jumped back. Again and again, Barda attacked and again and again, Morio dodged, unable to attack. They eventually ended up circling each other.

'You're afraid,' Barda said quietly. 'I can see it in your eyes.'

'Why don't you say that again!' Morio snapped back.

'Why don't you just do us all a favour and run home so you can hide your head in your mamma's lap?' Barda suggested, ignoring Morio's comment.

Morio's eyes narrowed dangerously.

'You have no idea what I have been through,' Morio said in a deadly whisper before yelling as he went in for the attack, 'You are going to pay for saying that!'

Startled, Barda only just had enough time to block Morio's angry attacks. Morio, getting annoyed with Barda's constant blocking, jumped around all over the place, trying to wear the older man out, hoping to get an opening for him to attack; he eventually did. He hit Barda that hard in the head that he knocked the man out cold.

At first, the crowd didn't seem to know what had happened, but then, as they slowly began to realise, they began to cheer. Morio walked off with a huff towards a cheering Jarred and Jasmine.

'That was unbelievable, M-Twig!' Jasmine cheered, running forward and embracing Morio. 'Are you okay? You seem… upset?'

'I'm fine,' he muttered. 'Let's get our prize and leave.'

The moment Mother Brightly handed Morio his prize money and medallion, he put the money into Jarred's arms, before walking off to collect his daggers.

Once the companions had collected all their belongings and were about to leave, Mother Brightly stopped them.

'It is hard for me to say this,' she said in a low voice. 'But you must be told. It has been known for Champions, and even ordinary finalists, to meet with… ill fortune, on their way out of the town.'

'You mean that they are attacked and robbed?' Jarred asked quickly.

'Yes. The gold coins are a great temptation. Would you be offended if I suggested that you leave the inn by a secret way?'

'Not at all. We would prefer to avoid trouble,' Jarred replied hurriedly.

'In that case, there is a back door – reached by a passage that runs from the cellar. No one will ever see you leave.'

'Thank you, Mother Brightly,' Jasmine said, giving her a friendly hug. 'Thank you for everything!'

'Can we go now?' Morio asked impatiently.

'M-Twig,' Jarred said warningly. 'Sorry about him –'

'Don't worry about it. I'm sure he's just a little tired,' Mother Brightly said cheerfully as she led them to the secret passage.

Unfortunately, the companions had little idea that Mother Brightly was leading them to a trap, as they soon found out when they exited the secret passageway and were knocked unconscious.

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 3 August 2012  
><strong>Updated:<br>Beta:** BETA WANTED

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FAIR USE ONLY.**


	8. The Shifting Sands

**CHAPTER SEVEN: THE SHIFTING SANDS**

Morio awoke to freezing cold rain pouring down on his face. At first he couldn't remember what had happened, but when he did, he bolted straight up and looked around. He was chained to a tree with a relieved Jarred and Jasmine looking at him, in the pouring rain, with two grey guards sitting underneath a rough shelter nearby.

'Morio, are you alright?' Jarred whispered quietly, so the Grey Guards wouldn't hear.

'Apart from a pounding in my head, I'm fine,' Morio muttered, before shivering slightly. 'Where are we?'

'Apparently we are just past the Shifting Sands.'

'Really? How do you know that?'

'Jasmine gave one of the Grey Guards some lip and he threatened to throw her into the Shifting Sands, saying we are an hour away from there,' Jarred replied grimly. 'But that does us no good considering the situation we are in.'

'Is the Belt still safe?' Morio whispered to Jasmine.

'For now,' she sighed, before whispering angrily. 'I can't believe Mother Brightly fooled us so!'

'I know, Jasmine, but harping on about it isn't going to do us much good,' Jarred said exasperatedly. Morio gathered that they had already had this conversation.

With nothing better to do, the companions watched as the two Grey Guards slowly began to fall asleep, and soon, their loud snores echoed around the peaceful clearing they were in. The moment the companions knew that they wouldn't awaken, they desperately tried to free themselves from their bonds, but it was no use. Sighing, they slumped back in defeat, only to jump when they heard something or someone in the bushes next to them. Then, before they knew it, Barda stepped out of the bushes and walked towards them.

'And here I was thinking things couldn't get any worse,' Morio grumbled.

'Be quiet and don't move until I give you the signal,' Barda whispered. 'I'm here to set you free.'

'Or get revenge,' Morio muttered.

'Morio,' Jarred said warningly, before turning back to Barda suspiciously. 'Why would you come to rescue us?'

'We'll have time to talk later –'

'We have time to talk now,' Jarred replied calmly, glancing over at the Grey Guards, who were still asleep. His eyes then snapped to the bushes Barda emerged from as the serving boy, Dain, emerged and stood next to Barda.

'I've put your belongings somewhere safe,' he said quietly. 'Once we have unchained you, we'll need to get through the woods without being noticed. Please follow us quickly and quietly.'

'Give us one reason why!' Morio snapped. 'You drugged Glock and Neridah.'

'It was actually you that was meant to be drugged,' Barda admitted. 'I have had many suspicions about the Games for a while now, so I had intended to allow that animal Glock to win and follow him. To see what was truly happening, but as you know, he drank yours and I had to pretend to lose to you.'

Morio snorted.

'Pretend? As if! I beat you fair and square!'

'It is true that you are a talented fighter, but in the end, you will never truly know if you won, will you?'

'If that helps you sleep at night, than just keep telling yourself that.'

Barda shook his head and addressed Jarred.

'For now we should concentrate on the task at hand.'

'We're not going anywhere with you until you tell us who you really are and why you are helping us,' Jarred said firmly.

'I'm a leader of the Resistance against the Shadow Lord and was once a palace guard under Endon's rule,' replied Barda. 'As for why I'm helping you; when I first saw you in Tom's shop… there was something about you that interested me. Since then, everywhere I go, I hear whispers of three travellers and everywhere they went, the Shadow Lord's evil seemed to disappear.'

'What makes you think it's us?' Morio demanded.

'The description of the travellers matches you perfectly; a man, a girl, and a wild boy with a black bird.'

'Very well,' Jarred said.

Barda nodded his head, before he and Dain worked on setting the companions free. Once free, the two Resistance men led the three travellers to a safe location where they had hidden their belongings. However, their presence did not go unnoticed. When they were half way to the safe spot, blisters went flying through the air and exploded in front of them, blocking the way forward by a wall of fire. The companions' Grey Guard captors stopped a short distance behind them. Barda and Dain were able to slip unnoticeably into the tall reeds that were either side of them.

'Put your hands in the air now!' one of the Grey Guards ordered angrily.

'Why? It's not like you can do anything to us if we disobey,' Jasmine said coldly.

'Watch your mouth, little girl! It's not up to you to tell us what we can and can't do! Now hands up or we'll shoot!'

'No! Don't shoot! We'll do as you say,' Morio said quickly, putting his hands in the air, surprising his companions. Morio was the last one they thought would surrender.

'Very good,' the second Grey Guard said approvingly. 'The boy's got the right idea. So… what about you two?'

'Alright, I surrender too,' Jarred said, catching on to what Morio was doing.

'Seriously?' Jasmine exclaimed, before huffing, 'Thanks for the backup, guys,' as she too put her hands in the air. She then jumped as Barda and Dain jumped out of the reeds and attacked the unsuspecting Grey Guards.

With the Grey Guards lying dead in front of them, Jasmine turned to her father and Morio.

'You knew that they were going to do that?'

'Of course; didn't you see them slip into the reeds?' Morio asked as he followed Barda.

'No. So am I the only unobservant one?'

'No, I didn't notice them missing either until I heard a rustling in the reeds and saw that they were missing,' replied Jarred.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

The safe place in which Dain had hidden the companions' belongings turned out to be a deep, dark cave which appeared to be a storing cave for Resistance weapons and other necessary materials – as the companions found out once Dain had started a small, but pleasant camp fire.

'At first light we'll head up into the mountains,' Barda said as he, Dain, and the companions sat around the camp fire. 'We have a stronghold there so we can hold out and work on our next plan of action.'

'We can't go with you,' Jarred told Barda calmly. 'Besides, how do we know that we can trust you?'

'We just put our necks on the line twice for you and your children!' Barda exclaimed. 'What else do you wish us to do to show that we don't intent to harm you?'

'Regardless, it is for your best interests to avoid us. We no doubt have many Grey Guards after us.'

Jarred got to his feet.

'Thank you for rescuing us, Barda… Dain,' Jasmine said with a slight cheerful note in her voice as she too got to her feet.

Morio followed her example, but said nothing to their rescuers.

'Then go on your way. Just make sure you tell _no one_ of our meeting tonight,' Barda replied, looking annoyed.

'Will do,' Jarred nodded to the two Resistance men, before exiting the cave, followed by his two teenaged companions.

'So what do we do now?' Jasmine asked, shivering slightly in the cold.

'We head to the Shifting Sands, obviously,' said Morio, giving her an odd look. 'What else would we be doing?'

'I know that we have to go there!' Jasmine snapped. 'What I meant was how do we get there? We have no idea where we are! Nor do we have the stars to guide us!'

'You two really would be lost without me,' Morio sighed, shaking his head. 'Isn't it obvious? Kree will lead us there. He has been following us this entire time.'

As if to prove Morio's point, Kree swooped down squawking before flying off at eye level for the companions to follow him.

Morio was right when he said that Kree would be able to lead them to the Shifting Sands, for an hour later they were standing in front of a fence which marked the border of the Shifting Sands. At the entrance was a large stone sign that had faded away over time, making it hard to read. Many of the letters were missing.

'What does it say?' Morio asked. 'I can only recognise a handful of words.'

'Maybe that's because most of the letters are missing from the other words,' Jasmine said. Her tone suggested that she was talking to an idiot.

'Hey! Forgive me if I didn't have the luxury of having someone to teach me how to read properly!' Morio snapped.

'Enough you two,' Jarred grumbled, looking thoughtfully at the sign. 'I think I can make some of it out. _The Shifting Sands… Danger_ –'

'Even I can make that out, Dad,' Jasmine said impatiently.

Jarred ignored her.

'_The end lies within its rocky walls… where all are one and one will rules all… Below the dead, the living strive_.'

'That was helpful… not,' Morio commented.

'Actually, it was very helpful,' Jasmine disagreed. 'Remember the first line, "_The end lies within its rocky walls_"? I bet it's talking about those cliffs over there. The actual Sifting Sands begins after those cliffs. This fence and sign were probably just put up to give people lots of warning.'

'Sounds reasonable to me,' Jarred replied, before leading the way over to the cliffs and then up.

It was a difficult journey climbing up the cliff's surface - even Morio had trouble - for they were sleep deprived and sore from their time in Rithmere and from their previous adventures. However, they eventually made it over and none of them were impressed by what they saw.

Sand; that was all they could see. Nothing but deep, dry sand as far as the eye could see, with its red dunes rolling away under a low brooding ceiling of murky yellow cloud. There was no sign of any living creatures or plant life, with only the wind filling the eerie space.

'Well this is a charming corner of Deltora,' Morio muttered, motioning for Kree to land on his shoulder. 'I think I'll stick to my Forests.'

'And I think I'll stick to less dangerous locates,' Jasmine said, before saying loudly, 'That buzzing noise is annoying me!'

Jarred and Morio turned and looked at her.

'Buzzing noise?' they inquired in unison.

'Yeah, can't you hear it?'

'Obviously we can't if we just asked you what you were talking about!' Morio snapped.

'Stop arguing and let's start looking for the fourth gem,' Jarred said aloofly. 'The sooner we find it, the sooner we can leave, and the sooner we can get some rest. Once we've gotten some rest, our tempers should subside.'

'That plan gets my vote,' said Morio, before he and Jasmine followed Jarred in a random direction across the desert before them.

After about twenty minutes of walking, Jasmine suddenly stopped and yelled, 'There! Can you hear it?'

'Hear what?' asked Jarred, tilting his head slightly trying to hear what his daughter could hear, but he could hear nothing but the wind.

'That buzzing! It sounds like a swarm of bees!'

'I think the desert heat has gotten to you,' Morio said unworriedly. 'Now enough with the unheard sounds, what's out plan for finding the fourth gem?'

'I suggest we break the desert into quadrants and search each one,' Jarred said, wiping his brow.

'But that could take forever!' Morio exclaimed. 'I don't know about you, but I'm not coping well with this heat!'

'I don't think it will be too hard,' Jasmine said quietly.

'What makes you say that?'

'What do all the gems have in common?'

'They're from the Belt of Deltora?'

'Besides that.'

'They're gems?'

'Oh for goodness sake,' Jasmine huffed; now getting impatient with Morio's guesses. 'They all have been protected by a Guardian! And on top of that, the Belt gets warm whenever a gem is near.'

'How does that make it easier? We'll still be looking around the desert for them.'

Jasmine shook her head.

'I get the feeling that the Guardian already knows that we are here. My guess is that it will come to us.'

'That's great news, but what if it doesn't bring the gem with it. What if it is like Soldeen and had the gem hidden somewhere? The Guardian might not be like Gorl and Reeah who carried the gem with them.'

'You're such an optimist, aren't you?' Jasmine said sarcastically.

'Hey, I'm just being realistic!' Morio snapped.

'Enough!' Jarred growled, glaring down at the two teenagers.

Jasmine lowered her head, but Morio glared right back, before looking behind Jarred, eyes wide.

'What's wrong?' asked Jarred, quickly, as Kree began squawking madly.

'Grey Guards,' he responded simply.

'Grey Guards? Here? How is that possible?'

'Barda,' Jasmine said quietly. 'Maybe he freed Glock and Neridah too, assuming that they met the same fate as us.'

'You might be right,' Jarred said thoughtfully. 'But that doesn't matter now. We should prepare ourselves for a fight.'

'You can, but we won't need to,' Morio said calmly.

'Morio, even though we are not their prey, they will still attack us,' Jarred said, drawing his sword.

'Not if whatever is erupting from underneath the sand kills them first.'

Frowning, Jarred and Jasmine looked back towards the Grey Guards and saw that the sand was indeed trembling a short distance in front of the guards. Then, before their eyes, a huge, hideous creature sprang from the collapsing sand and seized the two Grey Guards, lifting them off their feet, before slowly devouring them.

The creature was eight legged with a tiny head that seemed all mirrored eyes. Dozens of leathery bags hung from its body.

Jarred, Jasmine and Morio stood there horrified and did not move until the creature had disappeared.

'That must have been the Guardian,' muttered Morio.

'If it was the Guardian, don't you think it would be attacking us by now,' Jasmine said doubtfully. 'No, I just think that was one of the creatures that live here, like the Wennbar in the Forests of Sile-' She suddenly broke off with a gasp and was holding her ears.

'Jasmine, what's wrong?' asked Jarred, a father's worry evident in his voice as he looked down at his daughter, not knowing what to do or how to help her.

'It's that buzzing again, only this time it is louder than ever and is coming towards us!' she cried.

Jarred and Morio exchanged a look. Neither of them could hear anything, but they soon saw something coming towards them. A sandstorm and it was moving quickly. Soon it surrounded them. Minutes later it was gone.

'That was no ordinary sandstorm,' Morio said, getting to his feet and brushing himself off. 'Are you okay, Jasmine?'

'I – I'm okay,' she muttered.

'That's go – oh no!' Morio suddenly looked very upset.

'What's wrong?' Jarred asked quickly, while holding Jasmine close.

'My dagger's missing! The one that I've had for as long as I remember! I've got to find it!'

'Look over there!' Jasmine said suddenly, while Morio frantically looked around.

'If it's not my dagger, I don't want to know,' he said.

'Actually, Morio, you might want to look at this,' Jarred said in amazement.

Groaning, Morio walked over to the father and daughter and gasped when he saw what they were looking at. There was a mark in the sand which looked exactly like…

'My dagger! That's what my dagger looks like!'

'How peculiar,' muttered Jarred.

'You guys are probably going to think that I'm crazy – though you probably already do think that – but I think the sand is alive,' Jasmine said hesitantly.

'Alive as in some sort of creature?' asked Morio.

'Yes. I think it took your dagger as some sort of offering, which then stopped the sandstorm.'

'If you say so,' Morio said, but he didn't look convinced. 'Come on,' he then sighed. 'Let's go find the last gem.' He then walked off, after talking one last look around for his dagger.

The companions walked for hours, waiting and hoping for the Belt to grow warm, but it never did. Then, just as they were about to get some rest, another unnatural sandstorm appeared and separated Jasmine from Jarred and Morio. This scared Jarred half to death and when they finally found Jasmine, Jarred let out a cry of relief and embraced her tightly.

'I'm okay, Dad,' she muttered, snuggling into his arm embrace.'But I now know where the gem is hidden.'

'What? How can you know that? Did the opal give you a vision of the future or something?' asked Morio.

'No it di – How do you know that the opal shows glimpses of the future?' Jasmine demanded.

'No idea. Now answer my question.'

'When I was out cold after we were separated, I had a – er – dream. And in this dream, Queen Bee told me about using smoke to calm bees.'

'That doesn't explain how you know where the gem is,' Jarred frowned.

'I wasn't finished!' Jasmine huffed. 'It suddenly made everything click. The sound of buzzing bees, the fact that I saw bees in the sandstorm and the fact that the sand is alive… the last words on the warning sign were to serve the hive.'

Morio looked at Jarred.

'Is this making any sense to you?' he asked the older man.

'Yes and no. I think we should just trust Jasmine on this. She seems to have a connection to this place,' Jarred replied.

'Fine. Which way do we go, Jasmine?'

'Towards that tower in the centre of the Sands,' Jasmine pointed to the tower before them. 'To the Hive.'

Jasmine then led her companions confidently towards the Hive, before leading them in the difficult climb up.

'It looks bottomless,' Morio said as he peered down into the hive. 'It's so dark down there, how are we ever going to find the gem? Is the Belt warm, Jasmine?'

'It's burning,' replied Jasmine. 'Painfully.'

'At least we know that the gem is down there, but who knows what else is down there waiting for us,' said Morio, not sounding very sympathetic about Jasmine's pain.

'Do you hear that noise?' Jarred asked suddenly.

'Unfortunately yes. It sounds as though it is coming from the hive,' replied Morio.

'You two can hear it?' Jasmine questioned.

'Didn't we just say we could?'

'That's the sound I have been hearing since we first entered the Shifting Sands!'

'But what is making that noise?'

'The bees. It is a hive of bees which is makes up the Guardian of the Shifting Sands,' she hesitated. 'I think I should go down there by myself.'

'What? No! It is too dangerous!' Jarred said immediately.

'I have to. It is too steep for us to climb up or down, which means that one of us would have to be lowered down. You can't go for you would be too heavy for Morio and I to pull up. And Morio can't go because he doesn't have the Belt. It has to be me.'

Jarred opened his mouth to argue, but he realised that his daughter was right. She was the best candidate to go down.

'Fine… just be careful,' he grumbled as he pulled out the rope they had bought from Mother Brightly.

While Jarred constructed a contraption that would allow them to gently take Jasmine down and up, Jasmine turned to Morio.

'I need you to make smoke,' she said. 'Not fire.'

'Why? Wouldn't it be best to have fire? How else will you be able to see down there?' the wild boy replied.

'I didn't think of that. Can you make a smoky fire?'

'I think I can do that.' Morio then went and did as his friend asked.

Five minutes later, Jasmine was being lowered into the death pit below.

'I really do not like this,' muttered Jarred.

'She'll be fine. She's knows what she's doing,' Morio said confidently.

'Or pretends to,' the father grumbled.

As Jasmine went deeper into the hive, the bee guardians began to swarm around her, demanding that she gave them the Belt. She ignored their request. When she reached the rocky bottom, she desperately began to look around for the fourth gem. This was not as easy as one might have first assumed. The hive's floor was nearly drowning in treasure. Treasure from all the poor sods that foolishly ventured into the Shifting Sands to seek what was not there's.

As Jasmine looked around, her eyes fell upon a dagger, lying onto of a nearby pile.

_This must be Morio's dagger,_ Jasmine thought, walking over and picking it up, before examining it.

The dagger was made by a skilled swordsmen and the seller of this particular weapon would have only parted with it for a generous heaping of gold. Jasmine noted that while the danger was beautiful and looked like it was only built to be an accessory; its blade was sharper and stronger than many swords. It was a deadly weapon.

_Morio must have definitely have come from a wealthy family to have afforded something like this, _she thought. _That or they stole it_, she then mused as she noticed the royal families crest on the top of its blade.

Shrugging, she pocketed the dagger and continued to look around for the fourth gem. A few minutes later, she found it wedged in between too rocks, which were on top of each other and one of the main foundations of the hive. How it got wedge there, she did not know, but she assumed that it had something to do with the guardian.

_At last!_

She hurried over to where the gem was wedged and saw that it was the Lapis Lazuli; the heavenly stone which protects the wearer from evil. She immediately tried to remove it, but as she did, the two rocks moved threateningly.

_If I remove the gem, these rocks will move and will bring the hive down on top of me, _Jasmine realised, looking around for something roughly the same size as the gem which she could shove in its place. The treasure that she saw didn't look too promising. Thankfully, she ended up remembering the small wooden bird she got from the fraud in Rithmere. Is took it out of her pocket and saw that it was roughly the same size.

_This will have to do, _she thought.

With careful hands, she pulled the gem free and shoved the wooden bird in its place. The moment is had taken the gem, the bee guardians began to buzz angrily and charge at her. Panicking, she tugged on the rope. Morio and Jarred received the message and began to pull her back up, well aware of the angry buzzing from down below.

Jasmine eventually came to the exit of the hive and Morio pulled her up before throwing several fire beads at the bees that were chasing her. As the beads came in contact with the swarm of bees, they exploded and the bees scattered.

'Let's never do that again,' Morio laughed.

'Glad you can laugh about it,' Jarred grumbled. 'Did you find it?' he added to his daughter.

Smiling, Jasmine showed them the Lapis Lazuli.

'Good, then let's get out of here. I have no desire to stay here any longer than I have too.'

'I second that motion!' Morio laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 12 September 2012  
><strong>Updated:<strong> N/A**  
>Beta:<strong> [in process]

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FAIR USE ONLY.**


	9. Dread Mountain

**CHAPTER EIGHT: DREAD MOUNTAIN **

The moment the companions were safely out of the Shifting Sands, they went and found a nearby clearing, where they decided to spend the night. The next morning, they started the long journey towards Dread Mountain.

'What do you two know about Dread Mountain?' Morio asked as he walked along side Jasmine and Jarred.

'Dread Mountain is home to the Dread Gnomes. I know their leader. He should be expecting us,' Jarred answered.

'So if the Dread Gnomes live on Dread Mountain, does that mean they have the next gem and will just hand it over to us? There won't be a Guardian to fight?' Morio asked eagerly.

'Yes. When we get there we should be able to rest and I'm sure the Dread Gnomes will give us supplies to continue our journey.'

'Finally, an easy gem,' Morio laughed, picking up the pace.

For three days the companions travelled and a day later they had officially run out of water.

'We need to find some water soon,' Jasmine muttered, coming to a halt. 'I'm so thirsty!'

'We all are, sweetie, but there is nothing we can do until Kree comes back,' Jarred replied patiently, also coming to a halt. 'I never thought I would miss water so much.'

'What I wish for is trees and water,' Morio grumbled, looking up at the sky. 'This part of Deltora is ugly to me. With no trees as far as I can see –' He broke off and smiled. Kree was flying towards them.

'Kree! Did you find any water?' Morio asked as the black bird landed on his shoulder.

Kree squawked happily.

'Does that mean yes?' asked Jasmine.

'It sure does! There is a spring up ahead surrounded by trees!' replied Morio. 'Come on! Let's go!'

The companions hurried down the earth worn path and as soon as they saw the trees Kree was talking about, they broke into a run. When they came to the spring in the centre, they flung themselves to their knees and began to take generous gulps of water.

'I never thought water could taste so good!' Jasmine exclaimed cheerfully.

Morio nodded his head in agreement.

'Would you two be against us spending the night here?' Jarred asked, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

'I think this is a perfect place to set up camp!' Jasmine said cheerfully. 'We have water and shelter here! '

Morio remained silent.

'You cannot be disagreeing, are you?' Jasmine asked him, clearly shocked. 'I thought you of all people would jump at the idea of camping here.'

'There is something wrong with the trees,' Morio muttered. 'They feel… wrong. It's as though they're not alive.'

Jasmine and Jarred turned to look at the trees.

'They look alive to me,' said Jasmine, taking in their healthy green leaves. 'I think you're just paranoid.'

'Are you saying Filli and Kree are paranoid too?' Morio snapped. 'Look, I know what I am talking about! If the trees were truly alive, they would not be silent!'

'Either way, I think this is the best spot for us to camp,' Jarred said firmly. 'It is safer for us here than out in the open.'

'Whatever,' Morio grumbled, walking off.

'And I thought it was bad enough dealing with your mood swings,' Jarred sighed, looking down at Jasmine, who giggled.

That night, Morio slept a short distance away from his companions with Filli and Kree.

'I wish he'd grow up,' Jasmine grumbled to Jarred as she glared over at where Morio was completely ignoring them. 'I can't believe he is still holding a grudge against us for not believing him about the trees not being alive.'

'Maybe,' Jarred replied thoughtfully. 'Or maybe he is annoyed about something else.'

'If he was annoyed about something else, he would have told us, Father!' Jasmine snapped. 'He speaks his mind.'

'Then maybe he has something personal on his mind that has nothing to do with us,' Jarred shrugged. 'Either way, you should remember that Morio is used to being on his own with only Filli and Kree for company. He is probably still adjusting to life with other people.'

'That still gives him no right to ignore us!'

'I know, but unlike you, Morio probably hasn't been lectured constantly about manners.'

'Will you two stop talking about me?' Morio suddenly snapped. 'I can hear every single word you are saying!'

Jarred and Jasmine blushed, and watched as Morio glared at them before turning his back on them and going to sleep.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

As the sun began to rise the next morning, Morio awoke and stretched. He then looked around and saw that Jarred and Jasmine were still asleep.

_No surprise there,_ he thought as he stood up and began to walk to the spring.

When he arrived at the edge of the trees, he stopped and warily looked at the strange creature drinking at the spring. As though sensing his presence, the creature stopped drinking and turned around to look at him. It was then that a memory hit him…

'_Here you go, my dear,' said a well-dressed Toran woman, handing young Morio a present._

'_Thank you, Grandma,' replied Morio, eagerly unwrapping his birthday present._

_Inside was a small, stuffed Kin._

'_This is the Kin from your story, isn't it, Grandma?' asked an excited Morio, jumping up and hugging the lady._

'_Yes. This is your very own Monty,' she laughed, embracing him back._

Morio shook his head. None of his memories had ever been that clear before. He only wished that he had seen the lady's face clearly.

Sighing, he walked towards the young Kin, seeing that is what it was, before he bent down before it.

'Aren't you a little cutie,' he said, rubbing its head.

'Thank you,' she giggled.

Morio's smile faded ever so slightly. He had not expected the Kin to be able to talk back.

'What's your name?' asked the young Kin.

'Morio,' he replied, getting over his initial shock.

'I'm Prin! Do you want to play with me?'

'Um… sure. Why not?'

'Great! I know a great game called _Hide and Find_.'

'Sounds like fun. What do I have to do?'

'All you have to do is hide and I will sing. Once I've finished singing, I'll come to find you!'

Prin then turned around and began to sing a cute little song. Smiling, Morio hurried away to a nearby tree and hid behind it. He wanted to make it easy for the child… plus he wanted to see what happened when she found him.

He leant up against the tree, smiling as he listened to her cheerful song, but his smile soon disappeared when he heard her scream. He quickly looked back at her and saw that two Grey Guards had captured her and were laughing cruelly.

Morio's blood began to boil at how heartless they were. He knew that they were heartless, but he never thought that that coldness would extent to children. Drawing his dagger, Morio was about to charge them when a strong hand grabbed his arm. Morio whipped around, dagger at the ready and stopped just in time to see that it was Jarred with Jasmine beside him. Both of them looked pale and worried.

'Do you know what those Grey Guards have in that bag?' Jarred asked Morio quietly. He did not let go of the teenagers arm for he feared that Morio was going to do something stupid.

'My friend, Prin,' replied Morio. When he saw Jarred and Jasmine's bewildered expressions, he elaborated. 'She's a Kin. I was playing _Hide and Find_ with her when they captured her. I've got to help her!'

Morio made to run out again, but he stopped and smiled coldly.

'Good, they're about to drink the water,' he said, sounding satisfied.

'And how does that help the Kin?' Jasmine hissed.

'You'll see,' Morio smirked.

Frowning, father and daughter turned to look at the Grey Guards who were greedily gulping down the spring water. They then watched as the guards began to scream before they suddenly turned into trees.

Morio hurried towards Prin. He quickly let her out of the bag she was in.

'Oh, thank you, Morio!' she cried, wrapping her arms around his waist.

'It's alright, you're safe now,' he said soothingly.

'How -?' Jasmine gasped, joining them with Jarred. She was gazing at the two trees which use to be Grey Guards.

'There is a sign on the other side of the spring welcoming those who are kind hearted, but warning away those of evil will,' Morio shrugged. 'Now do you believe me about the trees not being normal trees?'

Jasmine nodded her head mutely, before gasping again.

'Those rocks are coming alive!' she squealed, pointing a short distance away in amongst the trees.

'That's not very nice!' Prin huffed. 'They're not rocks at all. It's Mummy and the other adults. I guess it's time for them to get up now.'

The group was soon joined by the adult Kin, all who greeted them warmly.

'My name is Crenn, I am the Elder of this tribe,' said the eldest Kin. 'Thank you were saving our beloved Prin. She is the only young our tribe has. I also would like to apologise for the trouble she caused you.'

'Thank you for saving my daughter,' added Prin's mother.

'Morio is the one that saved your daughter,' Jarred said sincerely.

'Yeah, Morio and I became friends when you were sleeping, Mummy!' Prin exclaimed, popping her head out of her mother's pouch.

'This isn't a game, Prin,' her mother scolded. 'You were almost taken away from us –'

'But I wasn't! I knew that they would drink the water!'

'You couldn't have known that! They could have killed you before they drank the water!'

Prin pouted and turned to Morio.

'Will you stay with us?' she asked.

'I'm afraid not. We must continue our journey to Dread Mountain –'

'You must not go there!' Prin gasped.

'Why not?' asked Jasmine.

'If you go there, the Dread Gnomes will surely shoot you on site,' Crenn explained. 'We used to live on Dread Mountain, eating the Boolong Trees, but it became too dangerous. The Gnomes were constantly shooting us with their arrows, and when the arrows started being laced with an incurable poison, we moved here, to our winter home. And that is why we only visit our old home in our dreams.'

'And now we cannot thrive,' Prin's mother continued. 'We cannot give birth unless we eat the Boolong trees.'

'I wish I could share those dreams,' Prin grumbled.

'Prin, sometimes dreams aren't always good,' Jasmine said quietly. 'Sometimes they become nightmares like the one I had last night.'

'What was it about?' asked Morio.

'I was back home and saw that our house had been trashed, my mother was gone and the mark of the Shadow Lord was on our front door.'

Jarred gasped.

'That's the exact same dream I had!' he said, eyes wide.

'I must tell you, if you drank from this stream, then whatever you dreamed was not a dream, but the truth,' Crenn said sadly.

'What do you mean by the truth?' Jarred asked suspiciously.

'What you dreamed of was real. Whoever or whatever you picture when you drink, you will appear in spirit when you sleep.'

Jasmine and Jarred paled.

'Anna,' Jarred breathed, before closing his eyes. 'He's got her.'

'We have to go!' Jasmine cried.

'No, we can't,' Jarred said firmly, though he choked slightly in the process. 'Your mother would want us to finish the quest.'

'But –'

'Jasmine, I know how you are feeling, but we can't sacrifice the quest. Your mother would be terribly disappointed in us with we did and would probably scold us too.'

'You're right,' Jasmine muttered, tears glistering in her green eyes. 'We have to keep going… for her.'

Jarred turned to the Kin with a sudden idea.

'May we ask a huge favour from you?' he asked.

'You saved your young Prin. All you have to do is ask,' replied Crenn.

'Would you be able to let us ride on your backs to Dread Mountain allowing us to cut our travel time by about a week?'

'I'm sorry, but I cannot allow that. We have already lost so many of our kind. If we go back, we will cease to exist.'

'Please give the matter more consideration,' Jarred begged. 'It is important that we get to Dread Mountain. We are on a quest that will help return peace to all of Deltora, but we have to get to Dread Mountain to do so.'

'We could go home if peace was returned to the entire Kingdom!' exclaimed Bruna. 'Which would mean the Gnomes would have to stop attacking us!'

'And by taking them, we would be fighting to get our mountain back,' added Ailsa. 'My fellow Kin, don't you think we should at least try?' she added to her family.

'Besides, I think we owe them,' Merin said reasonably. 'The boy did save little one, after all.'

'Don't be foolish! It isn't as simple as that!' Crenn snapped at the three females. 'I shall not allow it! I have mourned enough for those we have lost; I do not wish to mourn for anyone else!' He turned back to the companions. 'I am grateful to you, but you must understand why we cannot do this.'

'We understand,' Jarred sighed, before leading his companions back to camp.

That night, while Morio had a dream free night; Jasmine and Jarred dreamt of Anna. It broke their heart to see her chained in the Palace dungeon. They watched as Prandine questioned her about them. Jarred was proud of her and remembered why he feel in love with her. He also saw where Jasmine got her sharp tongue from. Anna lied to Prandine telling him that Jarred was a jerk who broke her heart and took her daughter; however, Jarred did try to hit Prandine a few times when he slapped Anna in the face.

When morning came, Jarred and Jasmine discussed what they saw.

'That's good to know that she is still alive,' Morio said glumly.

'You don't sound too happy about it,' Jasmine noted. 'Are you alright?'

'I drank water from the spring too last night and thought about my parents,' the wild boy replied, 'but I dreamed of nothing. I guess it's because I have no memory of what they look like… or maybe it's because they are dead.'

'I'm sorry,' Jasmine whispered.

Morio shrugged and smiled slightly.

'Who knows, maybe my grandmother is still alive.'

'Ah good, you are still here!' Ailsa said, walking over to the companions with Bruna and Merin.

'We've been thinking it over and have decided that we will take you to Dread Mountain,' said Bruna.

'Does that mean the Elder changed his mind?' asked Morio.

The Kin shook their heads in unison.

'Then is it really a good idea for you to disobey him?'

'Don't worry, no one ever listens to the old man anyway,' said Merin. 'Besides, better to ask forgiveness than permission.'

'I'll have to remember that excuse,' said Jasmine, making her father groan.

An hour later, they were ready to leave, with Jasmine, and the two embarrassed boys in the Kin's pouches. Just as they were about to take off, the rest of the Kin showed up. Crenn looked furious.

'I thought I made it perfectly clear that none of you were to take these humans to Dread Mountain!' he shouted.

'You did,' Bruna replied coldly, 'but we don't care. We need to do this and there is nothing you can do to stop us!'

'I'm coming too!' Prin yelled suddenly, running over to Morio and Ailsa.

'No, you can't,' Morio said firmly. 'It's too dangerous.'

'But –'

'No, Prin!'

Prin ran off crying.

'Let's go,' he muttered.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

A day later, the companions arrived at Dread Mountain and were immediately under fire. The Dread Gnomes saw the Kin and immediately gathered their arrows. Thankfully, the Kin were tactful and knew how to dodge the incoming attack. Unfortunately, they had to land a good distance away from the foot of the mountain, amongst the Boolong trees, and it was a very uncomfortable landing at that.

The Kin then led the way to a river which would allow the companions easy access up to the mountain and the Kin and easy flight path. Allow the way; the Kin gathered Boolong cones in their pouches as they went.

Once at the river, the companions watched the Kin head back home. They watched until they were out of sight. When they were about to follow the river, Morio looked back up and gasped.

'Is that Prin?'

Jasmine and Jarred looked at him before looking up at the sky and gasping too. It was Prin.

The friends then watched in horror as a volley of arrows came flying at her. To make matters worse, Prin didn't know how to dodge them and, as a result, was shot. She came crashing down a few metres away from the companions.

'PRIN!' Morio yelled, running towards her.

One of the poisoned arrows had cut the edge of her wing.

Remembering the last remaining nectar from the Lilies of Life, Morio hurriedly poured it into the child's mouth, praying that he wasn't too late. Prin began to stir several moments later.

'Did I crash land?' she mumbled groggily, getting to her feet.

'No, you were shot by a Gnomes' arrow. Thankfully, Morio had some nectar which saved you,' Jarred said, going into father's mode. 'Why did you follow us, young lady? Can you even imagine how worried your mother must be about you now?'

'Please don't be mad!' Prin cried. 'I've always wanted to come here and I knew this was my only chance, so I secretly followed you.' She then looked around. 'Where are Ailsa, Bruna and Merin?'

'They left a while a go,' replied Morio.

Prin's face fell.

'I'm guessing that you don't know the way back,' said Jarred.

Prin shook her head, looking scared.

'I guess she'll have to come with us,' Jasmine sighed.

Prin suddenly became excited and grabbed hold of Morio's hand.

'No way!' Jarred said suddenly. 'It's too dangerous for her!'

'And staying here or flying back won't be?' Morio snapped.

'I refuse to be burdened with another child that has more energy than sense,' Jarred huffed. 'You two are quite enough.'

'What is that supposed to mean?' Morio snapped again. 'We are not children and neither is Prin. Besides, you are out voted.'

Jarred muttered something incomprehensible under his breath as he led the way towards a nearby cave.

The next morning, they all made their way to the mountains entrance, only having to hide once as a patrol of Gnomes went passed. At the top of the mountain they came to a locked door.

'The Gnome Elder said that when it was time for us to come here that this arrow would unlock the door and that we had to pull the door.' Jarred pulled an ordinary arrow out of his pocket and unlocked the door. He then pulled it open, before walking confidently inside.

Together the companions walked through the low ceiling corridors. The entire time Prin remained close to Morio. When they came to a three way folk, they stopped.

'Did the Elder tell you which way to go?' Morio asked Jarred.

'No, but I chose the middle corridor.'

'Why?'

'It has the highest ceiling,' Jarred said, making the teenagers laugh as they went with the blacksmith's guess.

As they walked down the corridor, they were ambushed by the Dread Gnomes.

'Dread Gnomes, here me! I am Jarred from Del! Your Elder knows of me! Please let us see him in peace!'

'Likely story!' one of the Gnomes' snapped, knotting his bow.

'No! Please believe us!' Jarred began to panic.

In the end, the companions ended up running for their lives.

'ARGH!' Morio yelled as an arrow pierced his side. He fell to the ground.

Jarred, picked him up and moments later, they entered an empty room and barricade their selves in.

'Morio!' Jasmine cried trying to wake Morio as Jarred held the door. 'What do we do?'

'Can't you use that nectar Morio used on me?' Prin inquired.

'There is none left, Prin,' Jarred said softly. 'We used the last of it on you.'

'So it's my fault?' Prin began to cry.

'No… it's not, Little One,' Morio said weakly, opening his eyes slightly. 'I – I knew the risks.'

'Morio,' Jasmine whispered.

'Don't worry… about… me. The quest for… the gems… is far more… important.' He closed his eyes once more.

'No! Morio, wake up!' Jasmine yelled as tears began to pour down her face. 'Father, what do we do?'

'I don't know,' Jarred sighed. His eyes then widened. 'Maybe we can use the Ruby!'

Jasmine looked confused, as did Prin.

'The Ruby works only on snake venom, but maybe, by some miracle, it will work on the poison,' Jarred explained.

'It's worth a try.'

Jasmine undid the Belt from around her waist and put it in Morio's hand. She positioned it so he was holding it by the Ruby.

Before their eyes, the gem began to glow brightly as did the Belt.

'Is it meant to do that?' Prin asked.

'I – don't think so,' replied an uncertain Jarred, forgetting the door and walking over to the worried yet hopeful group. He was beginning to question the boy's heritage again.

As the glow disappeared, the Gnomes broke through the door, bows at the ready. They saw the group crowded around Morio, but none of them noticed the Belt of Deltora.

'Just so you know, no one has ever survived our poisoned arrows,' the Gnome, Ri-Nan, informed the group.

Morio chose that moment to wake up.

'Then why am I still alive?' he demanded weakly.

The Gnomes gasped, unable to believe their eyes.

'How is that possible?' asked a female Gnome, appearing suddenly. She had heard the racket and had come to investigate.

'We carry the Belt of Deltora,' Jarred showed them the Belt. 'That is why we have come. We have come to see your leader, Fa-Glin.'

'You are Jarred?' the female Gnome questioned suspiciously.

'I am.'

The Gnome relaxed.

'I am sorry for my suspicion,' she apologised, before ordering the other Gnomes to lower their weapons and go back to work. 'I am Gla-Thon, Fa-Glin's granddaughter. He spoke highly of you, Jarred,' she continued, leading them through the corridors. 'He said that you were a man of honour.'

'And dad's head just inflated,' muttered Jasmine.

Morio chuckled slightly. He was being held in between his companions. He had refused Jarred's offer to carry him.

'I am also sorry for the way my tribe welcomed you,' the Gnome continued. 'As you know we are not one of the most trusting tribes.'

'But why didn't they believe me when I said who I was? Surely your grandfather told them of me?' Jarred questioned.

'Much has happened since the Shadow Lord's invasion,' Gla-Thon said quietly. 'Our noble race now lives in fear as slaves to the Shadow Lord's pet.'

'What do you mean?' the blacksmith asked sharply.

'Shortly after his invasion, a large, poisons toad named Gellick appeared. My tribe tried to kill it, but he killed so many of us with its poison that we reluctantly surrendered. We have been doing its bidding ever since.'

'Does it know that we are here?' Morio asked weakly.

'Not as far as I know, but it will soon.'

'How come?'

'It has the Emerald. It wears it on its brow. To retrieve the gem, you will have to kill the toad.'

'No problem!' Jasmine said confidently as they entered a comfortable room where an old Gnome was sitting. 'We have defeated all the previous Guardians protecting the gems. This one should be no problem.'

'Gellick cannot be killed easily,' the elderly Gnome said as he motioned for the companions to lay the weak Morio down. 'His hide is too thick for any sword, axe or arrow, and his skin and spit are laced with a deadly poison. Get even a small amount on your skin and you are done for.'

'Does he have any weaknesses at all?' Jarred asked Fa-Glin, the Elder of the Dread Gnomes.

'Not as far as I know, Jarred. I am sorry that my tribe wasn't able to take better care of the gem once we found it.'

'It's not your fault,' Jarred said firmly.

For the next two hours, Gla-Thon, Fa-Glin, Jarred and Jasmine all sat around discussing ways they could defeat Gellick, but every idea they came up with was more outrageous than the last.

'Maybe we should wait for Morio to wake-up,' Jasmine said thoughtfully, looking over at the sleeping boy. He was still feeling some of the effects of the poison. Prin, Kree and Filli sat there watching over him. 'He might know of a way that we haven't thought of.'

'I doubt it,' Jarred groaned. 'I think we have thought of everything.'

'We can't of! Everything has a weakness! Even the Shadow Lord does!'

'I know, Jas. I know.'

'Why not try the water from the Dreaming Spring?' Prin suggested quietly, looking over at the group. 'Didn't you all fill your water skins up with its water?'

'Yes, but what has that got to do with anything?' asked Jasmine.

'Did you forget what happens when someone of evil heart drinks it?'

'Of course! Gellick is evil so when he drinks it, it will kill him turning him into a tree!' Jarred exclaimed.

The Gnomes exchanged a look, clearly worried about the groups' sanity.

Noticing this look, Jarred hurriedly explained the magical properties of the Dreaming Spring.

'But how are we to get him to drink it?' Jasmine asked when Jarred had explained everything to the Gnomes.

'We haven't given him his food yet,' Gla-Thon said with a strange gleam in her eyes. 'We could lace his food with the water!'

'Well, what have we got to lose?' Jarred sighed. 'It's the only plan we have.'

With that said the Gnomes, Jarred and Jasmine grabbed a bottle of the Dreaming Spring's water and hurried off to prepare Gellick's dinner. Jarred and Jasmine were disgusted when they arrived at the breeding chamber. All around the chamber were netted enclosures lining the walls and inside the enclosures were millions upon millions of flies buzzing around reeking piles of decaying food.

'It is not a pleasant sight, is it?' Fa-Glin said with a grim smile. 'I cannot wait to be rid of it!'

'You and me both,' Gla-Thon grumbled as she prepared Gellick's meal of maggots drenched in Dreaming Spring water.

Once she had prepared his food, she bravely took it into the treasure chamber, for that is where the Great Gellick resided, while her grandfather and new friends waited anxiously outside with their figures crossed. Not only were they hoping that their plan would work, but that Gla-Thon would return safely.

Five minutes later she returned to them cheerfully.

'That plan worked!' she exclaimed. 'He turned into an evil looking tree like you said he would! Here is the Emerald. It fell out of the branches as I was leaving.'

Jasmine accepted it and put it into the Belt.

'This calls for a celebration!' Fa-Glin said cheerfully.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

There was great rejoicing for the rest of the day. In the companions' honour, a grand feast was created and eaten underneath the Gellick Tree as the Gnomes now called it. Everyone was happy to be finally rid of the toad, though Morio was a little bummed out, at first, because Jarred and Jasmine allowed him to sleep through the whole event, but he soon got over it.

During the celebrations, Fa-Glin told Jarred about Gellick's poison and how each full moon, they had to take the majority of their poison down to the bottom of the mountain for the Grey Guards to collect and use for their blisters. From there, he confined his fears of what would happen to his tribe when the Shadow Lord's armies stopped receiving the poison from them.

'Why not keep all the poison for yourself and make a compound that looked similar?' Morio suggested, looking at the Elder Gnome while giving Filli something to nibble on. 'I doubt any of the Shadow Lord's minions would be smart enough to figure out the difference and I doubt they would ever test it.'

'What a smart boy,' Fa-Glin said approvingly. 'From memory, Boolong sap and stream water look similar to Gellick's poison. That might actually do the trick.'

Jarred smiled over at Morio, but his smile shortly disappeared when a Gnome came running in shouting at the top of his lungs, 'Kin! Pen-Fel and Za-Van have sighted Kin from the spyholes to the south! There are many! The sky is black with them!'

The food and drink were immediately abandoned in favour of bows and arrows. The Gnomes than went running for the door, only to stop abruptly when Morio, Jasmine, Jarred and Prin shouted, 'Stop!' as loud as they could.

'How can you be so injudicious?' Morio snapped as he put his arm around the terrified Prin. Jarred and Jasmine looked surprised though. They had never heard the wild boy use such a big word before. 'Don't you realise that the Kin should be your partners on this Mountain? Do you want the Boolong trees to continue to multiply till even the streams are choked by thorns? The Kin are only coming here to rescue Prin, just like you would for a member of your family! So why don't you stop this nonsense and greet them with open arms! You are not enemies!'

Silence followed Morio's angry outburst. Jarred and Jasmine held their breath wondering how the Gnomes would react to Morio's comments. The Gnomes just stared at the angry Morio, shocked by this outburst, but eventually, Fa-Glin sighed.

'That is twice you have spoken wisely, young one,' he told Morio, before turning to his kin. 'Our new friend is right. We shall go out and greet the Kin in friendship. We will welcome them home.'

And so they did. The day was definitely one to celebrate.

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 22 September 2012  
><strong>Updated:<strong> N/A**  
>Beta:<strong> [in process]

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FAIR USE ONLY.**


	10. The Resistance Stronghold

**CHAPTER NINE: THE RESISTANCE STRONGHOLD**

Morio, Jarred and Jasmine stayed on Dread Mountain for a week. During this time, the companions gathered supplies and rested. When it was time for them to leave, Prin and Gla-Thon were sad to see them leave and after a few tears, mostly from Prin, they headed for the Maze of the Beast on the far coast of Deltora.

The journey began to run smoothly at first, but when the companions entered one of Deltora's forests, they began to jump at ever small noise and shadow. They all felt as though they were beginning watched.

'Even though I couldn't wait to be amongst trees again, now I cannot wait to leave,' Morio muttered. 'This place gives me the creeps.'

'What do the trees say?' asked Jarred.

'They tell me nothing,' Morio replied sadly. 'They know that we are here, yet they remain silent.'

The friends continued on their way in silence before jumping as a scared, young voice screamed, 'Somebody please help us!'

Without hesitation, the travellers ran towards the screams of a little girl, which, in turn, led them to a wide river. Two little girls, no older than five, were in the river, both clinging to logs. The girl in the blue dress was screaming out to her twin, Marie, who appeared to be unconscious.

'Morio, you grab the girl in blue, while I get Marie!' ordered Jarred as he began to run towards the river. He stopped when he saw that Morio wasn't moving.

'What are you waiting for?' he demanded to the teenager.

'I cannot swim,' Morio muttered quietly, eyeing the water hesitantly.

'I'll go then,' Jasmine snapped, running into the water and swimming for the twin in blue while Jarred swarm towards the pink dressed twin. Morio watched hopelessly on from the shore. He watched as Jasmine took hold of the blue twin, while Jarred went under water to retrieve Marie.

Jasmine ignored Morio as she carried the little girl out of the cold water and into the forest. Morio couldn't help but glare at her. He knew that she was angry at him for not going into the water to save the little girl, but it wasn't his fault. He couldn't help it if he didn't know how to swim. Thankfully, Jarred was more mature than his daughter and held no grudges.

Morio joined him as he laid Marie down on the ground and began feeling for a pulse.

'She's gone,' he muttered sadly, before looking around. 'What I don't understand is why children this young would be playing around a river with no supervision.'

'Maybe they were abandoned?' Morio suggested quietly. 'Maybe they are trying to survive like I had to as a child.'

'If that is so, we'll have to find somewhere to take the other little girl. We cannot just leave her alone. It is too dangerous. Go and tell Jasmine what has happened.'

'It may be best if you go,' Morio muttered, sounding bitter. 'I think she is mad at me because I cannot swim.'

'Jasmine wouldn't be mad at you over something like that,' said Jarred. 'At least I hope she wouldn't.'

'Either way, I've done something wrong. You go and tell her and the child. You'll have better luck at comforting them than I. I shall remain with Marie.'

Jarred nodded his head and went into the forest to his daughter and the crying girl.

'I'm sure everything will be alright Ida,' Jasmine said comfortingly to the little girl.

'Then why does your father come here without Marie!' Ida cried, noticing Jarred and his grim appearance.

'Father, where is Marie?' Jasmine asked disheartened knowing that something bad had occurred.

'I'm afraid Marie is gone,' Jarred said quietly, bending in front of Ida. 'I am so sorry, little one.'

Ida burst out crying and flung herself into Jarred's chest. She then gasped and went still as an arrow flew out of the bushes and hit her in the back.

Jasmine looked around and her eyes fell upon a hooded figure in amongst the trees. Outraged that someone could murder a child, she drew her sword and charged at the figure, catching him unaware. She leaped upon him, forcing him to the ground and breaking his arm.

'Stop, Jasmine! It's me, Dain!'

Jasmine froze and watched as the figure took off his hood.

'You must kill her now!' he ordered. 'She is not real! She is an Ol!'

'Ol?' Jasmine blinked not knowing what he was talking about.

Growling slightly, Dain managed to get her off him and charged at the little girl in Jarred's arms. He plunged his dagger into the right side of her back. Father and daughter alike then watched in astonishment as the body became nothing more than a white mass, before disappearing.

Silence followed. Dain felt to the ground, exhausted, and holding his broken arm which was giving him a lot of pain. Jarred and Jasmine, however, were shocked at what they had just discovered.

Jasmine suddenly gasped. Dain and Jarred looked at her horrified face.

'If Ida was an Ol, that means Marie was probably one too!' she whispered. 'Morio!' she suddenly yelled before tearing off back to the river, with Jarred not far behind.

As they got closer they got here Morio gasping and Kree screeching. Moments later, when they were out of the forest, they saw Morio being choked by a huge Ol in its true form. It had Morio by the throat holding him high in the air. Morio, for his part, desperately tried to pry away the Ol from his throat, but his efforts began to diminish as he slowly began to lose consciousness. Jarred and Jasmine, however, were still determinedly trying to kill the creature. Jasmine froze when the Belt of Deltora became as cold as ice. It had never done anything like that before. She glanced at Morio and saw that his eyes were closed. She was now starting to panic. If they didn't kill the creature soon, Morio would be dead. She only assumed that he was still alive because the Ol still had hold of him.

'Stab it through the heart!' Dain yelled out as he hurried over to them. 'The only way to kill an Ol is by stabbing it through the heart!'

'I have already stabbed its heart!' Jasmine snapped, before the Ol hit her sending her backwards.

'That's because an Ol's heart is on the right, not the left!'

With this knowledge in mind, Jarred ducked an attack before sending his sword through the Ol's heart. It screamed and dropped the unconscious Morio. Before it disappeared it showed the illusions of Marie and an animal before disappearing.

'It's a good thing you stopped it when you did,' Dain muttered, bending down to check on Morio. 'If we had taken any longer, Morio wouldn't have made it. Quickly, let's warm him up. An Ol attack chills you to the bone. If he is not tended to, he may still die. He is very weak.'

Jarred nodded his understanding and gathered his young companion in his arms. He then led the party into the forest where Jasmine made a fire and began to set up camp.

'Will he be alright?' Jasmine whispered, looking down at Morio's pale face.

'He should be warm so one would think that he will be,' Dain replied as he put his arm into a sling while Jarred wrapped Morio into a blanket. 'Morio is a fighter. If anyone can pull through, it is he.'

'Thank you for your help, Dain,' said Jarred. 'If you had not shown up, we would all be dead by now.'

'Yes, thank you, but where did you come from?' asked Jasmine.

'I was heading back to the Resistance's Western Stronghold when I saw the Ols – the shape shifters from the Shadowlands - and I decided to follow them,' Dain answered. 'Just when I was about to strike them, you appeared and they tore off after you. My guess is that their plan was to separate you and then take you out one at a time. If that had happened, I don't think you would have stood a chance. That was evident with the Ol before.'

'I'm impressed,' Jasmine said, smiling over at Dain. 'You're pretty clever, aren't you?'

'I have Barda to thank for that,' Dain replied with a fond smile on his face. 'He is the one that taught me nearly everything I know. Anyway, I better be going, and now that you know about them, watch out for Ols.' He stood and turned to leave.

'Dain, wait,' Jarred called out after the dark haired teenager. Dain stopped and looked at the blacksmith. 'It is dangerous out here, and you cannot defend yourself with a broken arm. Besides, it's late and you should get some rest.'

'Thanks, but the stronghold I am travelling to is not too far away from here,' replied Dain, smiling.

'Maybe, but I suggest you stay here with us, just to be safe.'

'Thank you, but you should know that it is that kindness you hold that Ols take advantage of,' Dain warned, sitting back down.

For the rest of the night, Dain explained Ols to the father and daughter. He told them of the Grade One Ols, like Ida and Marie, who could transform into any living creature, but are very cold and cannot consume any food or drink. He explained that they are the easiest to discover for what they really are. He told them that they have a mark of the Shadow Lord in plain sight, like the assumed birthmark under Ida and Marie's left eye. Another way to discover if something is an Ol was not to let it out of your sight for three days, as it must take a break from the shape it has taken, which is known as the Tremor. When they take their break they are known to falter and shimmer.

He then proceeded to inform them of Level Two Ols, who were harder to recognise has they could successfully pretend to consume food and were able to hide their marks. They could also make their body produce heat like any other living creature, but they still had to go through the Tremor, even though they could hold it slightly longer than a Grade One Ol.

Finally, he discussed Grade Three Ols who were able to transform not only into living creatures, but into non-living objects. They are able to hold their disguise a very long time without a break, making them tremendously difficult to recognise. To add to the difficult situation, they are almost always are warm, eat and drink, and don't change often. They can also hide the mark almost at an unrecognizable form. Even worse, Grade Three Ols do not go through the tremor at all.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

The next morning, Jarred, Jasmine and Dain were relieved to see that Morio was alright. As they were making breakfast, they turned to him quickly as he groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He started at them all uncomprehended, at first, but he soon sat up abruptly and looked around, eyes wide.

'Wh – what happened to that thing?' he asked.

'It's okay. The Ol is dead,' Jasmine said soothingly.

'What's an –' Morio broke off coughing. His throat was so sore.

'Here, drink this tea,' Jarred ordered in a fatherly way.

He was about to hand it to Morio when Dain stopped him.

'Here, put some of this in the tea. It will help.'

He handed Jarred a small bottle.

'_Quality Brand Homemade Organic Nurturing Energising Yummy_,' Jarred read off the label. 'That's a mouthful to remember.'

'Maybe, but the honey works wonders,' Dain said cheerfully.

Jarred did as the Resistance boy suggested and put some honey into Morio's tea. He then handed it to Morio who eyed it suspiciously.

'Morio, drink the tea,' Jarred ordered. 'If Dain wanted you dead he wouldn't have helped us defeat the Ol that had hold of you.'

Figuring that Jarred had a point, Morio took a sip before pulling a face.

'That's disgusting!' he said, putting his drink down. 'How can you drink that stuff?'

'Tea doesn't taste that bad,' Jasmine commented.

'Then you can have mine!'

Shrugging, Jasmine took his cup and began to drink it. A smile appeared on her face.

'Mmm, that honey makes it takes a lot better!' she informed Dain.

'If that tastes better than before, I hate to drink it without honey,' Morio grumbled, laying back down and rubbing his throat.

'Maybe you should have the honey on something else,' Dain suggested, looking at Morio, concerned. 'The honey will help heal your throat.'

Morio ended up having the honey on some bread, but he ended up spiting it back out.

'That is not honey,' Morio muttered, giving his food to Jasmine. Yet again, she couldn't understand why Morio found it disgusting.

After much discussion, it was decided that the companions would travel with Dain to the Stronghold, seeing as he was seriously injured. Jasmine and Jarred spent half an hour arguing with Morio to change their plans. The wild boy eventually gave in, but stated loudly that he trusted Dain as far as he could throw him. Dain naturally heard this comment but he understood the other boy's feelings, saying that Morio was right to be suspicious.

The journey to the Stronghold ended up proving to be too difficult for Dain. Not only had Jasmine broken his arm, but she had also broken a few ribs. He ended up falling unconscious from the pain, and by some miracle, the boy had told the companions the directions to get to the stronghold, only mere minutes before. For the rest of the journey, Jarred ended up carrying the Resistance boy.

Thanking their luck star, the travellers were not attacked on their journey to the stronghold, but that does not mean the star was still shining brightly when they arrived.

'Hello!' Jasmine yelled towards the boulder hiding the stronghold entrance. 'Open up! We have Dain with us. He is in need of medical attention!'

'What's the password?' a voice demanded from behind the boulder. 'Answer or die!'

'We are not enemies!' Jarred informed the hidden man. He had a hint of annoyance in his tone. 'Doom knows who we are. If you could see us –'

'I can see you, we all can,' said the voice. 'And as we speak there are a dozen arrows aimed at you, so don't move.'

'What of Neridah and Glock?' Morio asked. 'They know who we are.'

'So what? Appearances mean nothing around here. You could be Ols for all we know.'

'Oh well, we tried getting him here, now let's go,' Morio muttered bitterly. 'I'm not going to stand here all day talking to a coward behind a boulder.'

'Morio!' Jarred scolded.

Morio didn't listen. Instead, he began to walk off, before jumping into some bushes as arrows were shot at him.

'What was that for?' Morio demanded, before picking up a piece of paper underneath a rock. 'Found it,' he added to Jarred, showing the older man, who just looked confused.

No arrows were being fired now.

'This must have something to do with the password,' Morio muttered to him. He had his back to the wall so no one could hear or see his lips moving.

'_When Enemies at Pass, Orders Normal_,' Jarred muttered, reading the paper.

He stood there thoughtfully before laughing slightly and saying, 'The passwords weapon.'

The boulder surprisingly moved aside and a small old man came out. Surprisingly, Jarred tensed up when he recognised the old man.

'Come in,' he ordered.

After the slightest hesitation, the companions followed him inside. Once inside, two Resistance members hurried forth and took Dain off Jarred and laid him down on a nearby bed. The other members, both young and old alike, all had their eyes on Jasmine, Jarred and especially Morio.

'Here are some friends who have come to join us!' the small man told the crowd. 'They brought poor young Dain home. It seems he decided to go adventuring, and bit off more than he could chew.'

He and everyone else sniggered.

'Good to see that you haven't changed at all, Jinks,' Jarred said coldly.

The room fell silent and Jinks looked at Jarred suspiciously.

'How do you know who I am?' he asked, eyes untrusting.

'Yeah, how do you know him?' Jasmine asked her father. She had never seen the man before.

'He was one of the acrobats at the palace in Del,' he explained.

'You lived in the palace?' Jinks said, trying to rack his brains as to why the man in front of him now looked so familiar.

'Obviously, and before you start teasing young Dain, you should know that he is only injured because he risked his life to save us from two Ols.'

'That's right!' Jasmine said fiercely. 'He's bravery was great!'

'And what would you know of bravery, Birdie?'

Glock had just walked out of another room and was heading towards them.

'It's good to see you too, Glock,' Jasmine said sarcastically.

'I think the last time I saw you, you were being carried out of the Rithmere Arena sleeping like a little baby,' Morio provoked.

Glock did not take too kindly to that.

'Why you little –'

A sudden knock on the boulder outside, made everyone fall silent. Jinks and two adults, a man and a woman, hurried to the door.

'Password?' he asked.

'Weapon,' said the reply of Barda's voice.

Moments later, he was in the room with Neridah by his side. He froze slightly when he saw Morio, Jasmine and Jarred.

'Well, I see three faces that do not belong in this stronghold,' Barda said coldly, while Neridah winked at the oblivious Morio. Jasmine glared at her.

'Barda, it's not what you think.'

Everyone turned and watched as Dain struggled to sit up.

'So, you finally decide to join us,' Barda commented walking over to the injured boy. 'You have some explaining to do, Dain. You were expected back days ago. Why are you so late?'

'I saw some Ols in the woods – Level Ones – so I decided to follow them.' Dain appeared to be talking to Barda's shoes, rather than his face.

'By yourself? You disobeyed my orders and then show these three people, who have not been tested to our stronghold; by doing this you have put us all in danger,' Barda scolded. 'Did you also let them know the secret of our password system?'

'No, he did not,' Jarred intervened calmly.

Barda turned to look at the blacksmith, who shrugged.

'It is not difficult to work out,' he explained. 'My best friend and I used to make up secret codes to communicate with each other when we were kids. Your code system of taking the first letter of each word to spell a word was one of the first codes we ever used.'

Barda stared at Jarred, while others were muttering about how impressed they were that Jarred had figured it out.

Barda suddenly clicked his figures and before the companions could react, several Resistance fighters had grabbed their arms and pinned them behind their backs.

'What are you doing?' Morio snapped.

'You discovered something that we consider to be classified information,' Barda said indifferently. 'Besides, what proof do we have that you are not Ols?'

The companions could not answer.

'Take them to the testing room,' the ex-palace guard then ordered.

'Let go of us!' Jasmine yelled as they struggled against their captives who were trying to lead them away.

'What is going on here?' a new voice suddenly demanded. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at the old lady who had just appeared. Jarred gasped and his eyes softened.

'Barda, you're back!' she exclaimed when she saw Barda.

'Hi Mother,' he greeted as he embraced her.

'Min,' Jarred whispered.

Min turned and looked at Jarred, frowning.

'It cannot be,' she whispered. 'Jarred? Can it really be you?'

Jarred nodded and smiled.

'Release him!' Min ordered.

Those who had hold of Jarred hesitantly let go. Moments later, Jarred was holding his old nurse maid tightly.

'I thought you were dead, Jarred!' she sobbed into his chest.

'As it had to be,' Jarred said quietly. 'Prandine would not have rested if he knew that I was still alive. He could not risk me opening Endon's eyes to the truth.'

'I knew that you would never attempt to injure or kill Endon. You two were like brothers!'

'Were, is the key word,' Jarred muttered sadly.

'He's Endon's best friend?' Barda questioned his mother.

'Yes, I would recognise him anywhere. I did practically raise the little terror.' Min smiled fondly at Jarred. 'Just so you know, I still haven't forgiven you for –'

'Putting that cockroach in your hair?' Jarred finished her sentence, trying not to laugh.

'Exactly,' she laughed. 'It seems that you have grown much since we last met, but I'm not sure if that is true in maturity.'

'No, that has grown to,' Jarred replied as Barda ordered for Morio and Jasmine to be released, 'though I owe that to my daughter, Jasmine.' He motioned to Jasmine.

'You found a life outside the castle, then,' Min said as she took Jasmine's hand warmly. 'She's beautiful, Jarred, though I can see that she looks a lot like you.'

'Takes after me too, unfortunately,' he muttered.

'And who is this young man?' She turned to face Morio. Her smile flattered slightly when she saw how dirty he was.

'He is Morio,' Jarred introduced. 'We met him in the Forests of Silence.'

'It is nice to meet you, Morio,' Min greeted with a smile.

Morio merely nodded his head and eyed the woman curiously. Why did he get the feeling that he knew her?

'You three must be exhausted,' she continued. 'So, how about fix you all a nice bath, especially you, young Morio?'

'I'm good,' Morio replied.

'But, dear, you are filthy!'

'And I'm probably going to get filthy again after having a bath, so why bother?'

'Don't try arguing with him, Min,' said Jarred. 'He's extremely stubborn. I've tried on countless occasions to get him to bath. The most I've ever achieved his him cleaning his skin.'

'Well, I'm pretty stubborn too, if you'd remember, Jarred.' Min turned back to Morio determined to get the young man to bathe. She did not succeed. Morio turned out to be extremely stubborn and no matter what Min tried she could not get the young man to do as she asked.

'Surrendered yet, Min?' asked Jarred as they all sat down for dinner.

'For the time being I have,' she sighed. 'He is even more stubborn than you, Barda and Endon combined!'

'Morio has lived on his own since he was six,' Jarred informed her quietly. 'He hasn't had to do anything most people have to do. All he has had for company is Filli and Kree.'

'What happened to his parents?' Barda inquired curiously.

'I don't know,' Morio answered. 'I have no memory of my past. All I can remember is waking up in the Forests of Silence and then surviving.'

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 28 October 2012  
><strong>Updated:<strong> N/A**  
>Beta:<strong> [in progress]

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED, FAIR USE ONLY.**


	11. The Maze of the Beast

**CHAPTER TEN: THE MAZE OF THE BEAST**

Two days later, Jarred, Jasmine and Morio set off again on their quest. Barda and Min had respectfully accepted their wishes of keeping their quest secret until the time was right.

As the group left the Resistance, they became aware of hurried footsteps behind them. They turned around to see Dain running towards them. He had healed quite quickly thanks to Queen Bee Honey.

'Dain, what's wrong?' Jasmine had asked her new friend. They had gotten on quite well over the past few days, something that Morio did not like.

'Nothing, it's just that I was wondering if you'd take me to Tora with you,' he panted.

'Tora?' Morio questioned. Why did that ring a bell?

'Yes, Del's sister city in the west,' said Dain.

'Why do you want to go there?' Morio asked.

Dain looked down sadly at his feet when he replied. He told them hold a pod of Grey Guards raided his family home and took his parents when he was young. He said that his mother always told him about her relations in Tora, and that is why he wanted to go there. He wanted to see if he had family there and, by some miracle, his parents were there.

'Well, seeing as we were planning on going to Tora at the end of our quest, anyway, I'm sure we can take you,' Jarred said at the end of Dain's explanation. 'It doesn't matter if we go there now, or at the end.'

'Thank you so much!' Dain exclaimed happily.

'I will meet you there,' Morio said suddenly.

'Excuse me?' Jasmine wondered if she heard him right.

'You heard me. Dain said that there are a lot of Shadow Lord Servants there and we all know that they will be looking for a man, a girl, and a wild boy with a black bird. Out of all of us, I'm the one that gives the group away. I think it would be best if you three travel together. After all, Dain looks nothing like a wild child.'

Before any of them could argue with him, Morio ran off and disappeared.

'When I get my hands on him,' Jarred muttered darkly as they continued on their way. 'He's going to get himself killed with his noble action.'

'I'm going to miss him,' Jasmine said sadly.

'Me too,' Jarred sighed.

The journey was not pleasant. True, they group didn't have the worry of Ols attacking them seeing as the creatures didn't expect them to be the group they were made aware of, but they did have the problem of pirates. The amount of pirates they encountered was nothing to laugh at, and neither was the pillaging of nearby villages.

When they came to one said village, Jasmine couldn't help but feel disgusted and angry as she looked around and saw that the pirates had carved their names into doors and trees. It reminded her of the Shadow Lord branding his mark into places.

Her anger, however, disappeared as singing reached her ears.

'Once there was an Ol-io,  
>Jolly-wolly Ol-io,<br>Once there was an Ol-io,  
>Formidable as could be!'<p>

Moments later, a shabby caravan pulled by a fat old horse came into sight. A huge golden-haired man with dark brown skin sat on the caravan, singing the strange song at the top of his voice.

'I know that man!' Dain exclaimed, hurrying over to the man and caravan.

'Dain!' Father and daughter alike hissed, trying to stop him.

When the huge man saw Dain, he smiled and stopped the caravan.

'Well, well, what are you doing here all by yourself, Dain?' he asked.

'He's not alone,' Jasmine said as she and Jarred walked out of the shadows.

'Steven, these are my friends Jasmine and Jarred. They're father and daughter as you can probably see. Guys, this is Steven,' Dain introduced.

'It's nice to meet you,' said Jasmine.

'And you.' Steven nodded his head to her with a smile.

'It's good luck we have run into you, Steven,' said Dain. 'I'd like to buy something off you.'

'Then it will be a pleasure to do business with you.'

Steven hopped off his seat and opened his caravan up. Jarred and Jasmine gasped.

'I have just about anything,' Steven said, noticing their surprised faces. 'I have clothes fit for royalty, to everyday items any traveller would need.'

While keeping an eye on his daughter, Jarred made sure to keep a firm grip on their money bag as he browsed Steven's wares. He cursed the fact that Jasmine was a shopaholic like her mother.

'How much is this pendant, Steven?' asked Dain, holding up a purple stringed necklace with a pink jewel as the main feature and two green jewels either side of it, held in place by some gold.

'Does young Dain have a girlfriend?' Steven asked curiously with a smile playing at his lips.

'No, she is just a friend,' Dain said, walking behind Jasmine and putting it around her neck. 'For you.'

'Oh, Dain, it's beautiful!' Jasmine exclaimed. 'Thank you!'

Jarred's facial expression remained indifferent. The last time he had gotten involved with one of Jasmine's relationships, he ended up getting the silent treatment for two months!

'What's in this purple bag?' Jasmine asked, pulling it off the shelf.

'Very fine toffee,' replied Steven. 'It's very popular, that's why I've only got one left.'

_Morio might like this_, Jasmine thought.

'Dad, can I have the money bag please?' she asked suddenly.

'What are you buying first?' asked Jarred suspiciously.

'Relax; I'm only buying some toffee for Morio.'

'I had to check, knowing you it was probably an expensive top or something,' Jarred grumbled, with a beautiful purple belt in hand. 'How much is it for the toffee and the belt?'

Steven named his reasonable price and Jarred handed over the correct money.

'Who's the belt for anyway, Dad?' Jasmine asked.

'It's for you, for being a good girl,' Jarred replied.

'Thanks, Dad!'

With everything purchased, Dain, Jasmine and Jarred continued on his way. All of them believed that Morio was no doubt way ahead of them.

Two days later, found the group waiting on the River Queen dock. Jasmine had found it while Dain and Jarred tried to figure out their next move of where they were going. They ended up waiting for a few hours, but eventually the River Queen came down the river and picked them up.

'Well, you three are a surprise,' the captain told them. 'I haven't seen anyone on this dock for years. Do you have any money on you to pay for the ride?'

'Yes, we do,' replied Jarred.

'How far down the river do you wish to go?'

'Well, my daughter and I have some business to take care of on the coast, while my son needs to be dropped off at Tora,' said Jarred, before paying the captain.

'Very good, welcome aboard the River Queen,' said the captain. 'But before you go about your business there are two rules that you must know. First, note that I'm only the captain of this ship, and not your bodyguard. You get in any trouble; you're on your own to sort it out. And finally, if you're Ols, I don't care, just as long as you don't cause any trouble.'

The companions nodded their heads in understanding before jumping as Jasmine began to laugh as a monkey-like creature began moving its hands up and down her body, feeling her pockets. He then ran off with one of her toffees.

'Hey, that monkey just stole one of my toffees!' she said angrily.

'Chett is a polypan, not a monkey, so of course he's going to check your pockets to see what's in them,' the captain said before walking off.

Dain, Jasmine and Jarred went and found a spot on the ground. There weren't many other passengers on the ship. There were two men playing cards, a newly wedded couple, Lockie the Stripe who entertained them all by playing his music box, and surprisingly a noble boy. Jasmine couldn't help but stare at him. Why would a noble boy travel on the River Queen? It was obvious that he came from a rich and noble family. His posture was flawless, he sat with his head held high and his clothes were the expensive kind. He was also very clean. His tan skin was flawless as was he neatly combed back blonde hair in a ponytail.

'This is definitely a much better way to travel then having to walk through the mud,' Jarred sighed as he lay down.

Jasmine managed to tear her eyes away from the noble boy.

'I seem to remember someone making fun of me for wanting to wait on the dock,' Jasmine said, looking down at her father.

'Yeah, you were right.' Jarred smiled up at her, before closing his eyes and relaxing.

'What if there are Ols on this ship?' Jasmine whispered suddenly.

'Ols travel in pairs, right, Dain?' asked Jarred.

'Yes. It is rare for them to travel in any more or less,' replied Dain.

'In that case, we should be wary of the couple and the two men playing cards. Everyone else seems to be travelling alone.'

'Remember, there are some Ols who can take the form on inanimate objects,' Dain warned.

'If that is true, then we must also be wary of Lockie the Stripe,' muttered Jasmine. 'That music box of his may be an Ol. That leaves the only person that isn't an Ol to be that noble boy.'

'What noble boy?' Jarred sat up and looked around. He gasped when he saw the boy.

'What's wrong?' asked Dain.

'He looks like Endon!'

'What?'

'Well, not exactly like him, but I can see Endon in him!'

'If that is true, then I would be even more suspicious of him,' Dain said quietly. 'The Shadow Lord knows that you were close to Endon and may try to use his appearance to distract you. To make sure you don't suspect them.'

'If that is true, than he is the most suspicious one of all,' said Jasmine.

'Er, Jasmine,' Dain muttered as the noble boy stood and walked over to them with an air of confidence. His back was straight and head was held high.

'How dare you accuse me of being an Ol,' said the boy, his tone was one would stereotypically expect a well-breed noble son to have.

He then glanced around and smiled down at them, lowering his voice as he did so.

'I leave you guys alone for a few days and you're already calling me a monster?' he said, looking slightly amused.

Dain, Jarred and Jasmine stared blankly at him. What did he mean by that comment?

Just then, there was a slight movement underneath his collar and Filli poked her head out.

Dain, Jasmine and Jarred felt their jaws drop. Standing before them was none other than Morio.

'I hope you have a very good day and night, my good sirs, and dear lady,' Morio continued in a slightly louder voice, sounding all posh again. He then gave them a slight bow and walked out onto the deck.

'I – I don't believe it!' Jasmine gasped. 'I cannot believe that was Morio! Where did he get those clothes from?'

'I suspect he got them from Steven,' replied Dain.

'Forget about his clothes, he is _clean_!' Jarred said, stressing the word clean. 'He never listened to Min and my nagging, but now he has decided to clean himself! His hair must have been that dirty that it turned it brown! And on top of that, he looks like Endon! You don't suppose that Morio is Prince Lief?'

'Dad, you saw it with your own eyes. Lief was thrown from a window. There is no way Morio could be Lief.'

'But how can we be sure. I mean, look at him. He looks like a prince to me!'

Jasmine turned her eyes upon her silent friend. What her father said did make sense in a way.

'I still don't see how Morio can be Lief, but if he is the Heir we have been doing this for, our quest does not end with the finding of the last gem,' she said eventually. 'The hardest part of our quest will be to convince Morio to take the throne. You heard him back at the City of the Rats, "_If you were to say that I was to be king, I would go back to the Forests of Silence with no hesitation!_".'

'You are right, but we cannot worry about that now,' Jarred said, lying back down. 'For all we know, it may be completely, and scarily, a coincidence that Morio looks like Endon.'

'You're right,' Jasmine sighed.

The rest of the day went by without any dramas, but that night, when they anchored for the night and the lights were out, the problems began.

Morio, Jarred and Jasmine all awoke to the sound of someone sneaking on the deck. At first they all shrugged it off as another passenger getting up to go to the bathroom. They knew it to be wrong though, when Morio cried out as he was grabbed roughly and a light from lanterns illuminated the boat. All escape routes off the ship were blocked by pirates.

Jasmine looked over at Morio and saw that a large woman had a firm grip on him.

'Good evening everyone,' said a female pirate, who appeared to be the leader. 'Please excuse us for interrupting your sweet dreams at such a late hour, but we only stopped by to collect the taxes for using our river. Stay where you are and my associates will come to you.'

Jasmine's eyes narrowed, before backing into her father as a pirate came over to them.

'Alright, hand over everything you've got,' he ordered.

'I'm afraid this is all we have between us,' Jarred said handing over a small bag of money. 'We were robbed earlier.'

'That's it?' The pirate didn't look too thrilled.

Jasmine glared at him, thankful that he necklace from Dain was hidden underneath her top, before watching as Chett walked over to them and lifted up Jarred's cloak to reveal his sword. This of course resulted in all their weapons being taken, and to Jasmine and Jarred's horror, the belt Jarred had bought Jasmine was also taken; they had hidden the Belt of Deltora within it to make sure Dain didn't accidently see it.

'Hey fellas, what do you think of this handsome boy.'

Everyone turned and looked at Morio and his female captor, Nak.

'What do you say, shall we take him with us?' asked Nak. 'We should get a generous ransom if his attire and fine breeding are anything to go by.'

'Hmm, you're right,' said another pirate, 'but he doesn't need to take his clothes with him, does he? I wouldn't mind having some clothes like that.'

'I'm sure this little rich boy wouldn't mind, would you, kid?' Nak laughed and her laughter increased at Morio's hopeless struggles. She was a strong woman.

'Hey, I recognise this kid!' a pirate exclaimed suddenly, looking down at Dain. 'He's that Resistance kid that is always tagging along after Barda!'

'You're right! Oh, we did well tonight!' said the leader as Dain was roughly grabbed. 'We thank you for your co-operation,' she added to the other passengers.

'We aren't going to let you take our friends!' Jasmine snapped, before she and Jarred charged at the pirate holding their weapons, they then attempted to free Morio and Dain.

'Don't even think about it!' the pirate holding Morio growled, sticking her dagger under his chin.

Jasmine and Jarred flattered.

'Good, now put down your – ARGH!' Filli had just crawled out of Morio's jacket and bit her. Morio used this distraction to try and get away from her.

He ended up successfully escaping her, but only to end up in the arms of another pirate.

'Nice try, son.' He laughed, before hitting on the head with his sword. Morio felt to the ground unconscious.

'Pleasure doing business with you all,' the leader said, before the spoils were all collected and the pirates disappeared into the night.

'No,' Jasmine fell to her knees and sobbed. 'We've lost them both! What are we to do?'

'We continue on with our journey,' Jarred said, staring at a piece of paper.

'How can you be so heartless and just let them go!' Jasmine screeched at her father.

'Jasmine, don't you dare take that tone with me,' Jarred warned. 'We'll continue on our journey as the pirates and we have the same destination, judging by this map.'

He handed her the paper. It had a map drawn on it as well as an "X". The "X" was over the location of the Maze of the Beast.

'Do you think they're going after the sixth gem?' Jasmine whispered to her father as everyone began to settle down again. She absently picked Filli off the ground and held her close.

'It seems like they are,' Jarred murmured. 'Our only chance now is to follow our original plan and hope that Morio and Dain are alright.'

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

Two days later, Jasmine and Jarred arrived at the coast and where heading towards a cave that was marked on the map. When they were inside the cave, father and daughter alike drew their swords and cautiously enter. Both of them were alert waiting for a Guardian to attack at any moment. They left Filli and Kree outside.

Inside the cave they found nothing except an empty jewellery box. He material inside had an indent which made it look as though a Belt of Deltora gem had once rest within.

'Do you think the pirates now have it?' Jasmine asked her thoughtful father.

'I don't know,' Jarred replied. 'Something doesn't feel right. I was excepting to have to go through a maze to find the sixth gem, as the title suggests, not just walk straight into a cave. Then there is the Guardian. Why haven't we come across it yet? And I don't think the pirates defeated it for there is no sign of a struggle.'

'What should we do then?'

'First, let's get out of this cave. It gives me the creeps.'

Jasmine nodded mutely and followed her father out of the cave, where they were then ambushed by two pirates. One of them was Nak.

'Well, look at what we've got here, Finn,' said Nak, holding a dagger to Jasmine's throat. 'Have you come to try and save your little friends again?'

'You got that right!' Jasmine snapped.

'You should have abandoned them, for now you have the chance to meet a pet of our.'

Jarred and Jasmine were then bound and forced into a row boat. Nak and Finn ended up rowing them into a secret cave just passed a blowhole.

Inside the secret cave, Jasmine noticed the rest of the pirate crew eating and drinking on huge ledges above the water. Much to her surprise, Chett was running to and fro serving the pirates, looking miserable.

_Deservers you right for helping the pirates talk the Belt, _Jasmine thought bitterly as she was roughly shoved out of the boat.

'Hey everyone, look what we caught!' Nak yelled out to her fellow pirates.

Cheers began to fill the cavern.

'Now, just stay put and don't try anything,' Finn ordered, shoving them into a corner.

Morio and Dain were already sitting there. Both of them were tightly bound.

'Morio! Dain!' Jasmine exclaimed, smiling at them both. 'Thank goodness you are alright!'

'I knew that you would come,' Dain said smiling back.

'Why did you come?' Morio hissed. 'The quest is more important! And where's Kree and Filli?'

'The Maze of the Beast is here anyway so we thought we'd rescue you at the same time.' Jasmine shrugged. 'Filli and Kree are outside.'

'Thank goodness they are alright,' Morio muttered.

'Have they figured out that you aren't a noble yet?' Jasmine whispered to Morio.

'It took a while, but I finally managed to convince them that I'm not,' Morio replied glumly. 'They then started arguing about what to do with me. As they were arguing, a new group of pirates appeared and one walked over to have a look at Dain and me. When he saw me, his jaw dropped, before smiling nastily down at me.'

'What are they going to do with you?' asked Jarred, dried mouth.

'I'm to be handed over to the Grey Guards with Dain. He said that I look almost exactly like Endon and the Shadow Lord would no doubt pay a lot of money to have me, encase I'm a secret son of his. Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous?'

'Which part?' asked Jarred.

'Everything. Me looking like Endon –'

He broke off when he saw the looks on his friends' faces.

'Do I really look that much like him?' Morio asked Jarred.

'I'm afraid you do. When I first saw you on the boat, I thought that I was looking at my old friend,' Jarred admitted.

'Great, just great,' Morio grumbled. 'I should have never have had a bath!'

'For once, I wish you hadn't,' Jarred admitted.

'Aren't you glad now that I never listened to you and Min?'

'Indeed I am.'

'So you guys,' Nak yelled out to her fellow pirates again. 'What's say we have a little fun?' She turned her mean gaze up their prisoners.'

Her comment was met with laughter and enthusiastic comments.

'Everybody shut up! Nobody is to touch them, at least not the Prince and Resistance kid!' a pirate suddenly yelled. 'It will defeat the whole purpose of bringing them here!'

'That's Milne,' Dain whispered quietly to his friends. 'He is the one who recognised me on the River Queen.'

'Anyway, the Resistance kid is mine!' Milne continued. 'The Grey Guards are going to give me a lot of money for him.'

'What are you talking about?' Nak snapped.

'Are you insane?' Finn yelled angrily. 'You know better than all of us what Barda would do if we hurt one of his fighters, especially his precious Dain. You've seen how protective he is of him!'

'That's right,' said another pirate. 'I wouldn't want that guy after me. They say he'll never stop looking for you even if it takes him years. He was also a palace guard. One of the strongest and bravest guards there was!'

'Are you guys really going to allow someone like Barda the Bear frighten you? What a bunch of wimps!' Milne said coldly.

'Say that again!' Finn growled dangerously.

'You heard me, Finn,' Milne said, standing his ground. 'But I can understand why you'd be scared of him. You'd be no match for him anyway.'

'That's it!' Finn tackled Milne to the ground and began to wrestle with him.

Moments later, Nak interfered, breaking up the scrabble.

'Enough, you morons!' she yelled, before sticking her dagger underneath Milne chin and asking, 'Who put you in charge?'

Milne muttered something incomprehensible under his breath.

'For calling us a coward, we're going to give you to Glus with the other prisoners!'

'No, please! I'm sorry!' Milne begged, but it was no use. He ended up being tied up and thrown in the corner with Jasmine and the others.

'Oh sweet justice,' Jasmine hissed at Milne while the other pirates agreed to hand Dain over to the Grey Guards still, only this time they were to blame it all on Milne. 'Dad, do you know what a Glus is?'

'I have a hunch, I just hope I'm wrong,' Jarred mumbled.

Jasmine was about to reply when she suddenly jumped as Chett climbed up onto her shoulder.

'Is that your new friend?' Morio asked sarcastically.

'So what if it is?' Jasmine snapped, before looking at the polypan.

It was smiling at her. She knew that it was only here for some more toffee. She glared at it before it struck her. Polypans were meant to be expert thieves. They were that good that they could steal someone's shirt right off their back and they'd be none the wiser.

'Listen, Chett,' Jasmine whispered to the polypan. 'I need you to find my belt and bring it here. Do this and you can have a toffee.'

Chett immediately did as she asked. Minutes later he returned with the belt and wrapped it around her waist before helping himself to a toffee. While Dain and Morio were oblivious to the event that had just occurred, Jarred saw the entire thing and grinned down at his daughter. His smile soon disappeared as Finn and the other pirates surrounded them.

'It's time to go,' he muttered.

Jarred and Jasmine were roughly forced to their feet and lead away, with a restrained Dain and Morio yelling out to them.

Jasmine glanced back and noticed Morio's worried face. She knew that he was not worried about what was about to happen to him, but what was about to happen to his friends.

Jasmine, Milne and Jarred where led outside into the cold dark night. From there they were marched over to a cliff overlooking the sea, where a flat-bottomed boulder stood. Two pirates went and moved it to reveal a black hole.

Milne was panicking by this stage, begging for forgiveness, but the other pirates didn't listen. In fact, they threw him down the dark hole first. Jarred and Jasmine soon followed once their ties were cut.

Thankfully, there was water at the bottom of the hole to break there fall. As Jasmine and Jarred swarm to shore, the boulder was pushed back into place.

Once on shore, Jasmine took in her surroundings. With the help of the eerie, bluish light that illuminated the cavern, Jasmine saw great dripping spears of stone hanging from the roof and thick, lumpy pillars rising from the floor. Twisted columns, rippled and grooved, with water made solid. The walls were gleaming and ridged, running with milky liquid. They were in the Maze of the Beast.

All around the cavern there were sounds. There was the sound of Milne sobbing in hopeless terror mixing with the sound of dripping water, which echoed around the endless, winding spaces. However, the sound that frightened Jasmine was the sound of something sticky, stealthily sliding towards them.

'It is coming,' Milne sobbed. 'The Glus…'

Jasmine absently moved closer to Jarred who appeared to be doing some quick thinking.

They then saw it. The Glus was a gigantic, slug-like beast that was sickly pale and oozing towards them. Its tiny eyes were waving on the ends of stalks at the top of its terrible head.

Terrific, Milne staggered to his feet and took off running.

The Glus lunged forward, rearing its head. Its spine-tipped tail trashed dangerously while its blood-red mouth opened wide, revealing thousands of sharp teeth, as it made a thick, gurgling noise. Then, with terrifying accuracy, a tangle of fine white threads sprayed out of its throat, aimed directly at Milne, even though Jasmine and Jarred were closer.

The white threads hit Milne and sent him to the ground, screaming. The Glus slowly approached the screaming pirate, ignoring the shaking Jasmine and wary Jarred.

Jarred quietly motioned for Jasmine to follow him. They then managed to sneak away from Glus while he was busy with Milne. Once way from Glus, Jarred explained his plan quietly to his daughter.

'Here's the plan, where going to quietly and slowly look around for the sixth gem,' he whispered. 'Once we have it, we'll calmly look for a way out.'

'How can you be so calm?' Jasmine demanded.

'Hush Jasmine. I think the Glus is blind. Didn't you notice how it ignored us completely and went after Milne instead? It may be blind, but its sense of hearing is much sharper. We have to be silent, Jasmine. Can you do that?'

'I –I think so,' Jasmine replied quietly.

Jarred smiled down at her, before leading them off in a random direction.

As the pair walked through the Maze of the Beast, they had several encounters with the Glus, but had somehow managed to remain absolutely still and quiet until it passed. They were surprised; however, that Glus couldn't hear the sound of their hearts beating painfully in their chests.

After what felt like hours of searching, though it probably had been hours, Jasmine felt the Belt grow warm and moments later, they found the sixth gem, the Amethyst. With the Symbol of Truth in hand, they began to look for an escape.

Their escape didn't take them as long to find as it had with finding the gem, seeing as they had found the exit while searching for the said gem. Their escape route was through the blowhole they had seen when they were taken to the pirate lair. They only just managed to get out of the blowhole before it blew.

'Let's never do that again!' Jarred groaned, collapsing to the ground next to his daughter.

'I agree.'

'Let's not tell your mother about his.'

'I don't believe it!'

Jarred and Jasmine said up and saw Nak and Finn looking at them wide eyed.

'How did you escape Glus?'

'A lot of skill,' Jasmine replied coldly.

'I guess it's up to us then to finish you off!' Nak snapped, jumping off the ledge she was on, sword at the ready. Finn mimicked her. However, he unwisely landed too close to Jarred. The moment he stood up, Jarred punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. He threw Finn's weapon at Jasmine. She caught it and began to fight Nak, while Jarred had hold of Finn.

Surprisingly, Jasmine was able to fight off the older woman.

Ten minutes later, father and daughter stood before the bounded pirates.

'Where are Dain and Morio?' Jasmine demanded.

'They are probably with the Grey Guards by now,' Finn said with a shrug.

'Great,' Jasmine muttered.

'Let's retrieve our belongings, then we'll go and find them,' Jarred said quietly as he pulled Morio's most treasured dagger out of Finn's pocket.

'What about us?' Nak asked. 'Aren't you going to at least put us out of our misery?'

'We'll just get our belongings and then we'll release you,' Jarred said quietly.

He and Jasmine then walked off back to the pirate cave, where Kree and Filli were patiently waiting. Morio had told them to remain with Jasmine as he left the camp.

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written: <strong>29 October 2012  
><strong>Updated:<strong> N/A**  
>Beta: <strong>I-Angel92

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED, FAIR USE ONLY.**


	12. Tora

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: TORA**

For days, Jasmine and Jarred followed the Board River away from the coast hoping that they would find the pirates as well as Dain and Morio. During this time, neither of them talked much, in fact, they didn't talk at all unless it was completely necessary. Both of them were worried. They both knew, or at least could imagine, what would happen to the boys if they were handed over to the Grey Guards. Dain would most likely end up being used as bait to bring Barda out of hiding before being killed. Morio, however, they could only hypothesis. Would the Shadow Lord have him killed on sight just for the way he looked? Or would he try and determine Morio's true heritage? Would he be locked up in a dungeon for the rest of his life, or would he be turned into a slave and sent to the Shadowlands.

Jasmine couldn't bear to think about it. She would never allow anything like that to happen to her friend.

One cold and stormy night, Jasmine and Jarred found themselves running for shelter at a nearby abandoned village. It was just passed the crossing for Tora. All around the village were then names of Robin, Finn and Milne engraved into walls, doors, tree and everything else that they could carve into.

'Do you think we'll ever see them again?' Jasmine asked Jarred quietly as she snuggled under his arm. She was shaking from the cold and from attempting not to cry.

'I hope so, sweetheart,' Jarred said quietly, holding her tightly to him. His eyes were looking out into the distance, unseeing. 'All we can do is keep looking for them and pray that we will not be too late.'

'And if we are?' Jasmine looked desperately into her father's tired face.

Jarred sighed and closed his eyes.

'Then we will have to go back to our quest,' he said eventually. 'If they are taken by the Grey Guards, we will not be able to do anything until we have restored the Belt and given it to the Heir of Deltora.'

'But what if the Heir is Morio as we suspected?'

'Jasmine, let's not think about such depressing topics,' Jarred said, opening his eyes once more. 'We shall cross that bridge when we get to it.'

Jasmine sniffed and nodded her head.

Jarred and Jasmine stood there in silence, listening to the pouring rain. The weather for once was reflecting their mood; sad and bleak. As they stood there, a new noise made its way through the pouring rain. It was the sound of people arguing.

'Did you hear that?' Jasmine whispered to Jarred.

'Indeed I did,' Jarred said, turning to face the arguing voices. 'Strange, I thought the village was abandoned.'

'Should we check it out?'

'Might as well,' Jarred murmured, heading walking through the village and heading over to a house with light admitting from it. Jasmine followed him by closely.

They silently and stealthily peered through a window. It took all their effort not to gasp. It was the pirates who had Dain and Morio.

'I say we go back now, before it is too late!' one of the pirates was saying angrily to his companions. 'What the heck were you thinking, leaving Nak and Finn behind with all the loot? I don't know about you, but I trust them as far as I can throw them. If we start tonight, we can get back in time. So who's with me?'

'Just calm down, big guy,' the female leader said, sounding slightly amused. 'They wouldn't dare run off with our treasure and you know it. Besides, when we hand over the kids, they're going to get a share in a lot of gold. Do you really think that they will want to miss out on that?'

'They still have Dain and Morio!' Jasmine whispered excitedly to Jarred.

'Yeah, that's what you guys keep saying,' the pirate continued to grumble, 'but I'm not sure we'll get anything for those brats. I mean, how long have we been dragging along looking for Grey Guards? If I get one more smartass retort from the Prince kid, I'm going to slit his throat.'

'You will not touch him!' the leader warned. 'Remember what happened to Nathaniel when he attacked the kid?'

The other pirate paled.

'I thought so. If you don't want to end up like him, you will leave the kid alone and put up with his taunts. They are only words, after all.'

Jarred and Jasmine, figuring that they had heard enough, snuck off a short distance away.

'Did you hear that, one of them hurt Morio,' Jasmine whispered to her father.

'I heard,' Jarred replied. He glanced back at where the pirates were camped. 'I doubt any of them will come out in this weather, so now is probably our best chance of sneaking onto their ship and rescuing the boys.'

'Let's go then.'

Father and daughter alike quietly made their way back to the river, making sure to walk only in the shadows. They found the pirate ship docked at the locale port.

'I wonder why they stopped here,' Jasmine said conversationally to her father as they climbed into a row boat to get to the ship.

'The current is probably too strong for them to get up river,' Jarred replied as he struggled with the oars. The current was indeed very strong and took most of Jarred's strength to make it to the ship and secure the boat.

'I've had my exercise for the day,' he muttered as he stretched his arms.

'Stop complaining, Dad. We need to rescue the boys.' Jasmine said, slowly climbing an embedded ladder to get up to the ship.

'I'll pretend that I didn't hear that,' Jarred said with a slight edge to his voice, as he followed her up the ladder.

Once on board, Jasmine and Jarred drew their swords as quietly as they could and looked around. The deck was deserted.

'Kree, you stay up here and warn us if anyone comes,' Jasmine whispered to the silent bird.

Kree gave a quiet squawk as if to say, 'I understand.'

Nodding to Jasmine, Jarred led his daughter down below deck, flinching at every creak of the floorboards underneath their feet. He stopped and looked around. There were several doors before them. He looked at Jasmine.

'Got any idea?' he whispered.

She shook her head. Filli, however, jumped off her shoulder and onto the floor. She then began to sniff around for Morio. She soon found him in the last room.

'Are you sure, Filli?' Jasmine whispered, picking her up and putting her on her shoulder.

Filli nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Jarred flung open the door and came face to face with two startled pirates who were playing cards. One was extremely short, while the other was lanky and tall. His eyes then found Dain and Morio in the corner. Dain was sitting up, hands tied behind his back, looking as startled as the pirates, while Morio was laying on the ground, head in Dain's lap, unconscious. His hands were also tied behind his back, though one was at an odd angle and was roughly bandaged. He was also very pale. He turned his gaze back upon the pirates, who now had their weapons in hand.

'Don't mind us,' Jarred said with a smile. 'We're just here for the boys, and then we'll be out of your hair.'

'Do you honestly believe we'd just hand them over to you?' the short one demanded.

'No, but I was hoping you would.' Jarred sighed and looked at Jasmine. She had her sword drawn and was glaring at the pirates. Without warning, she then gave a battle cry and charged at the short pirate, leaving the tall one for Jarred to deal with. Thankfully, the pirates were nothing compared to Grey Guards and Ols, not to mention all the Guardians they had fought.

'Are you alright?' Jarred asked, leaving the unconscious pirates, and joining Jasmine by Morio and Dain's side. He gently lifted Morio out of Dain's lap.

'I'm fine, but Morio's in pretty bad shape,' Dain replied as Jasmine untied him. 'One of the pirates' lost their temper with him and became pretty violent. Not only did he slice Morio's arm open, but he broke it too. The storm and the rocking ship haven't agreed with him either.' He turned and looked down at his friend.

'Don't worry, we're going to get you out of here,' Jarred said confidently, picking Morio gently up in his arms and leaving the room. Jasmine and Dain hurried after him.

Getting into the small rowboat was a difficult task, mostly because Jarred had to carefully climb down while trying to carry Morio. Even worse, the rowboat was too small for all of them, so they ended up being squashed with Morio lying across them. Filli and Kree sat on his chest sadly. They were very worried about their friend.

'I swear this current has gotten even stronger since we came aboard,' Jarred growled as he struggled to row the boat. 'I'm just going to have to let the current take us down stream. I cannot fight it.'

Dain and Jasmine nodded their heads holding tightly onto the edge of the boat. The river's waves were becoming even more wild and unpredictable. They became that harsh that they managed to tip the small boat over.

While Jasmine and Dain clung to each other, Jarred struggled to hold Morio's head above the water. Kree had Filli and was flying above them.

The current ended up taking the companions downstream before pushing them into a channel which led them into a great lake. The water in the lake was much steadier than the river, though that might have been because the storm had subsided.

Jasmine and Dain swarm quickly to shore coughing and spluttering, before collapsing on the grassy shore, Jarred followed more slowly. He placed Morio gently on the ground and began to check on him. The bandages that had been on Morio's right arm had disappeared when they were in the river. Jarred couldn't help but gasp as he took in the boy's sliced and infected arm.

'We have to find somewhere to tend to Morio's wounds,' Jarred said, looking over at Jasmine and Dain. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly when he saw how close they were laying together. 'Did you two hear me?'

'We heard you, Dad,' Jasmine groaned, getting to her feet with the help of Dain. 'Do you have any ideas as to where we are?'

Jarred looked around and shook his head while Dain ran up a nearby hill and had a look around. When he came back, he was grinning broadly.

'Good news?' Jasmine asked eagerly.

'The best,' replied Dain. 'Tora is just over that hill. It is beautiful. Come on, let's go!'

He grabbed Jasmine's hand and led her up and over the hill running. Jarred, being weak from trying to row and having to carry Morio, had to follow more slowly. By the time he was up and over the hill, he saw Dain and Jasmine running into the city.

'Thanks for waiting,' Jarred muttered bitterly, while Filli, who was on his shoulder, chattered in his ear with agreement.

When Jarred entered the city, he found Jasmine and Dain talking to a young Toran girl. She had long dark brown hair and dark eyes.

Jarred stopped next to them.

'Don't you run ahead like that again,' Jarred scolded.

'Sorry, Dad,' Jasmine chuckled.

Sighing with annoyance, Jarred turned to the young lady.

'Would you be able to lead us to Zeean, please?' he asked politely. 'I am an old friend.'

'Of course, follow me,' she said quietly, leading them deep to the middle of the city and over to a beautiful water fountain. Zeean was sitting on its edge staring down at a toy Kin.

'Hi, Zeean.' Jarred greeted, smiling down at the elderly lady. His eyes were soft when he realised that she was looking at her grandson's old toy Kin. He dreaded her reaction to Morio.

Zeean jumped slightly and looked up at Jarred.

'Oh, Jarred, how good it is to see you again,' she said, standing up and smiling. Her smile disappeared when she saw Morio in Jarred's arms. 'Who is -?'

'This is Morio. Can you have someone tend to him?' asked Jarred.

'Of course,' Zeean immediately replied. 'I shall take you to my place where you can eat and rest. Our Healers will tend to Morio.' She glanced back down at Morio and her eyes filled with tears. She quickly turned her eyes away and looked down at Jasmine. 'Is this your daughter Jasmine?'

'Yes, this is Jasmine.' The blacksmith smiled down proudly at his little girl, his greatest treasure.

'She's so beautiful!' Zeean said, wiping away her tears and smiling down at Jasmine. 'I don't suppose you remember me. You were only a little girl last time I saw you.'

'I vaguely remember,' Jasmine said with an apologetic note in her voice.

'I'm surprised that you even vaguely remember,' said Zeean. She turned and looked at Dain. 'Is this your boyfriend?'

'No,' Dain and Jasmine said in unison, blushing furiously.

'I'm just a friend, Dain,' the blushing boy said quickly.

'My mistake,' Zeean had another small smile on her face.

When they arrived at Zeean's home, she sent one of her maids out to get the Healers.

'You can put him in here.' She opened up the closes room and motioned to the single bed within. 'This room was designed for Lief encase he was ever to come to Tora with me. I never had the heart to change it.'

'Thank you for this, Zeean,' said Jarred. He carefully put Morio into bed. He took of the boy's shirt, shoes and socks, before pulling the covers over him. He used to do the same thing for Jasmine when she was younger.

'It is nothing, Jarred.'

Zeean looked back at Morio again.

'He looks just like I imagined Lief to look at this age,' she said quietly. 'He is probably even the same again. Who is he?'

'We do not know,' Jasmine replied quietly. 'We met him in the Forests of Silence. His only family since the age of six was Filli and Kree. He has no memory of his life before six. He doesn't know who his parents are.'

'The poor dear.' Zeean walked over and sat on the bed next to the sleeping Morio. She gently began to stroke his forehead, brushing aside his fringe.

When the Healers arrive, Zeean, Jarred, Dain and Jasmine retreated to the sitting room where they were served a delicious morning tea.

'Zeean,' Dain began awkwardly, 'do you know if my mother, Rhans, is here?'

'I'm afraid not,' Zeean said quietly. 'There is no one here by that name. I take it she was a Toran? Is that why you look like one of us?'

'Yes.' Dain looked down, looking deeply disappointed.

Jasmine reached out and took his hand comfortingly. He gave her a small smile.

'Have you discovered a possible candidate to be the next King or Queen of Deltora?' Jarred asked Zeean.

'Yes. Her name is Marilen. She is the nearest relation to Lief on his father's side. She's a lovely girl and I know that she will rule wisely.'

'She sounds like a wonderful heir,' said Jarred as the Healers walked out of Lief's room.

'Morio is awake now if you wish to see him,' one of the Healer's told Zeean, before she left the house.

Jasmine and Dain leapt from their chairs and ran into Lief's room to see Morio. Zeean and Jarred followed more slowly.

'I'm okay, Jasmine,' Morio said with a yawn. He looked passed Dain and Jasmine at Jarred. As he was about to say something to the only father figure in his life, his eyes fell upon Zeean. The words died on his lips as he stared at her. He was so sure that he had seen her somewhere before. She looked so familiar. His eyes then widened as he saw tears begin to pour down her face as she looked at him.

'I'm sorry,' she said as she fled the room.

'Jarred, who was that,' Morio whispered. 'Why was she crying?'

'That is Zeean, Prince Lief's grandmother,' Jarred replied quietly. 'Her grandson's death affected her pretty badly. To this day she still mourns for him and seeing as you look like one would expect the Prince to look like…'

Jarred trailed off, but Morio didn't need him to finish. He understood. It was as though she was looking at her dead grandson grown up.

For the next three days, Morio had to remain in bed, much to his dismay. Each day he had a heated argument with the Healers trying to convince them to let him out of the room. They stubbornly and patiently refused. To make matters worse, Jarred did nothing to help him. Sometimes Morio cursed Jarred's fatherly instincts.

Jasmine and Dain would go and sit by Morio's side for hours, before they would leave and go and explore the city together. During their absence, Jarred would sometimes come and sit with him, but other than that, Morio was left alone with Kree and Filli. During this time he would usually sleep, seeing as he had nothing better to do. He was yet to see Zeean again. It seemed as though she was avoiding him.

On the fourth day, Morio had finally had enough. At sunrise, Morio quietly snuck out of Lief's room only to walk straight into Zeean.

'Sorry,' Morio apologised in a whisper.

'That is alright, Morio, dear.' Zeean smiled at the teenager before her. 'What are you doing up and out of bed? The Healers said that they wanted you to remain in bed for at least a week.'

'They're being ridiculous,' Morio said defensively. 'I was only seasick, which I got over three days ago, and I don't see why I have to remain in bed because of a broken arm.'

'You mean an infected, broken arm.'

'I still don't see why that has to keep me in bed. I need to get out and stretch my legs.'

'You sound just like Lief,' Zeean said quietly. 'He too used to complain about resting when he was sick.'

She studied the boy before her silently.

'I'm going out for a morning walk, would you like to keep me company?' she asked eventually. She thought that she might as well get to know the boy before her. It had been unfair of her to ignore him for the past three days only because he reminded her of what she had lost.

'I'd like that,' Morio replied with a bright smile, before hurrying outside.

_He even has the same enthusiasm as Lief,_ Zeean thought sadly as she followed him outside.

Once outside Zeean then led Morio through Tora's beautiful and somewhat magical streets. As they walked through Tora's streets, Morio felt as though he was in a dream. He could not stop smiling as he looked around at all the houses and his surroundings.

'Tora was carved by magic from a marble mountain,' Zeean informed the highly amazed Morio. 'It is perfect – all of one piece, without a crack or seam.'

'It's amazing. I have never seen its equal,' said Morio.

'No one has.'

They stopped before a large red stone column. Engraved on the stone was some sort of vow reading:

We, the People of Tora, swear allegiance to Adin, King of Deltora, and all of his blood who follow him. If ever this oath is broken, may this rock, our city's heart, break too, and may we be swept away, forever to regret our dishonour.

'That is the vow all Toran's must up hold,' Zeean said quietly. 'It has been ever since Adin took the throne and rid us of the Shadow Lord all those years ago. To keep the vow strong, each knew King or Queen would take a Toran as a spouse. My daughter, Sharn, was chosen to be Endon's. Most royal marriages have no love in them, only loyalty, duty, and the need to produce the next Heir. Sharn and Endon were an exception. At first they were awkward around each other, but as the years passed, they fell deeply in love. A love they passed on to their son, my grandson.'

'What was Lief like?' Morio asked curiously.

'He was a gorgeous child who always appeared to be cheerful, though he was never truly happy,' Zeean said quietly. 'He had no friends. Instead, he was forced to study things no young child wishes to know about. The only education that he enjoyed was his blacksmithing course, especially when Endon decided to teach him, and his sword practices. He studied seven days a week, every day of the year except the month of his birthday. He always refused to take part of his studies that month because it was the one month every year that I was permitted to see him.'

'They didn't allow you to see your own grandson?' Morio looked and sounded disgusted.

'It had something to do with the Rule. Lief was the first grandchild to ever know one of his grandparents. He confided everything in me. He confided all of his secrets, fears and views with me.'

'Do you think he would have been a good King?'

'I do,' Zeean replied sincerely. 'Even at a young age he was wise and open-minded, and unlike his ancestors, he did not believe in the Rule. He would often complain to me about it. He always wished that he could leave the palace, but he never was brave enough to tell his father how he felt. He could never tell Endon that he felt like a caged animal. Then, one his sixth birthday, he finally snapped. Every morning, the maids had to fight with him to get him to sit still so they could braid his hair and do his makeup, but on his birthday, he stubbornly refused to allow them to do this. He was that bad, that Prandine came in and attempted to calm him, but Lief still stubbornly refused to obey.

'In the end, Endon had to get involved. Lief gave his father a mouthful saying how he hated the Rule and wished to leave the palace. Endon ended up losing his temper and scaring Lief. When I came to see him, he was immediately in my arms crying. I decided then that I was to smuggle him out of the castle when I left the next day. He, of course, was thrilled to be going to Tora. That was the only time I saw him smile that day. It was the last time I saw him smile.'

Zeean broke off and fell to her knees crying.

It broke Morio's heart to see the elderly woman crying. He automatically bent down and embraced her in a one armed hug, because of his broken arm. As he did so, he took in her scent. She smelt of lavender which began to remind Morio of someone, but he did not know who.

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 30 October 2012  
><strong>Updated:<strong> N/A**  
>Beta:<strong> I-Angel92

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED, FAIR USE ONLY.**


	13. The Valley of the Lost

**CHAPTER TWELVE: THE VALLEY OF THE LOST**

Jasmine, Jarred and Morio ended up remaining in Tora until Morio's arm had completely healed, which ended up being six weeks. Dain ended up only spending a week in Tora, seeing as Barda and Neridah ended up appearing to take Dain back to the Resistance. Jasmine was exceptionally sad to see him go. She could still remember his parting.

_Dain, Jasmine and Morio sat before the stone column with the Toran vow talking quietly, while Jarred and Zeean sat at a nearby café discussing the journey to the Valley of the Lost._

'_I thought that I would find you here.'_

'_Barda!' Dain exclaimed, standing up before grabbing hold of Jasmine's shoulder._

'_Another dizzy spell?' she questioned._

'_Yeah,' muttered Dain, before looking at Barda. Jarred and Zeean walked over to them having noticed the two newcomers._

'_So, Dain, you are where you wanted to be,' Barda said calmly. 'Are you satisfied now?'_

'_You knew!' Dain accused. 'You knew all along that my parents weren't here.'_

'_Of course,' replied Barda, 'for what else was keeping you strong, but hope? Has seeing that your hope was in vain made you feel better or worse?'_

_Dain needn't reply. His face was like an open book._

'_Ever since I found you Dain, I have been searching for your parents,' Barda continued quietly. 'I had hoped to be successful before you could find out that they were not in Tora.'_

'_I am sorry,' Dain said with his eyes down cast. 'I should have known that you were doing it to protect me.'_

_Barda smiled down at him._

'_You are like a son to me, Dain. I only wish for your happiness and wellbeing.'_

_Dain nodded his head looking a little wet around the eyes._

'_So, will you come with Neridah and me to see Steven, or will you be staying with Jarred, Morio and Jasmine?' _

'_You already know my answer, Barda!' Dain replied firmly. 'I want to be with the Resistance to fight the Shadow Lord.'_

'_You're going?' Jasmine said quietly. She looked upset._

'_It had to happen sometime,' Dain replied gently, turning to face her and standing closer than Jarred like. Even Morio looked at them disapprovingly, though some argued that it was actually jealousy. 'I will never forget what you did for me. Maybe in better times we could have stayed together.'_

_He lent forward and kissed her cheek._

'_We'll meet again,' she replied with a pink tinged to her cheeks._

'_I take it you are now heading to the Valley of the Lost,' Barda said to Jarred._

'_Indeed. The Diamond is the last gem we need to find,' Jarred confirmed._

'_Then I give you a warning; even if you do find the Diamond, it will only bring you despair.'_

'_What do you mean, Barda?' Zeean questioned. She knew Barda back when he was a palace guard and had seen him three times after the Shadow Lord invasion._

'_It is not for me to say, but know that you will see that the quest for the Belt of Deltora will be in vain, unless you kill the Guardian. Something I had not the heart to do, at the time.'_

_With that said, Barda motioned for Dain and Neridah to follow him away._

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

'We wish you well on your journey,' Zeean said as they stood outside the great city. 'Please return to us safely.'

'We will,' Morio said confidently as he embraced her goodbye. He had become quite attached to her during their stay. 'And we shall return here once we have the Diamond in our possession. I promise.'

'Be safe,' she said, before reluctantly letting go of Morio. 'All of you.'

The companions nodded before turning and heading towards the Valley of the Lost.

From morning until late afternoon the group walked without a break, and by that time, Jasmine was whinging.

'Come on, you two, don't you think it is time for a break?' she whined.

'No, we should get as far as we can before dark,' Jarred replied firmly.

'I agree,' said Morio, before abruptly stopping, suddenly alert.

'What's wrong?' Jasmine whispered.

Morio silently put his hand to a tree and listened to what it had to say.

'Someone is following us,' he said.

'Is it Grey Guards? Or is it an Ol?' Jasmine asked quickly, while Jarred had his eyes fixed behind them.

'No, it is a girl and she is in those bushes.'

Jasmine and Jarred looked to the bushes Morio was pointing at and saw that someone was indeed in them. They were shocked to see who it was, as was Morio.

'Neridah?' they all said in unison.

'Ah, so there you are!' she exclaimed, hurrying over to them and clinging onto Morio's arm. 'I thought that I would never be able to catch up with you!'

'What are you doing here?' Jasmine demanded rudely. 'I thought you were with Dain and Barda?'

'I was,' Neridah replied. 'I went with them to see Steven with them, put then I went with Steven back to Tora to find you.'

'Why were you looking for us?' asked Jarred.

'I'm sick of fighting, so I've left the Resistance, and plan to return home,' she explained. 'So when I heard that you were going to the Valley of the Lost, I thought that maybe I could accompany you part of the way back to my home town seeing as I'm scared travelling by myself. So is it okay if I travel with you?' She looked up at Morio and battered her big brown eyes at him.

'I – um,' Morio stammered, looking down at her, suddenly feeling flustered. He could not understand why she always made him feel awkward and wanted to cling to him.

'Alright, hold it there, Miss Flirty,' Jasmine said angrily, pulling the other girl off of Morio.

'What's your problem?' Neridah snapped.

'You can't come with us!' Jasmine snapped back. 'We are not here to protect you and you travelled by yourself to find us, so clearly you are not scared to travel by yourself!'

'I was terrified the entire time,' Neridah huffed. She turned to Morio. 'Please, Morio, please say I can come with you!'

'Sure,' Morio said simply, after glancing at Jarred who was clearly staying out of the entire matter. The older man was wise enough to stay out of teenage arguments.

'What?' Jasmine snapped, rounding on Morio. 'Can't you see what she is doing?'

'She isn't doing anything,' Morio said with a slight edge in his tone. 'Besides, we cannot say that it is okay for Dain to travel with us and not Neridah.'

Morio had her there and Jasmine knew it. As a result, she growled and stormed off down the path they were following. Jarred managed to catch up with her while Neridah and Morio walked behind.

'Why are you so against Neridah travelling with us?' he asked his daughter quietly.

'I just don't like her, nor do I trust her!' Jasmine replied bitterly.

'Is that your only reason?'

'Isn't that a good enough reason?'

'No. Morio doesn't, sorry didn't, like Dain but he still agreed to let him travel with us.'

'This is different?'

'How is this different?'

'It just is!'

'I really like how you look now, Morio,' Jasmine then heard Neridah say. 'I almost didn't recognise you at first.'

'Everyone had trouble recognising me, even Jarred and Jasmine,' Morio replied.

'Well, one could not accuse you of being a wild boy now… except perhaps for having Kree with you.' She informed him cheerfully. 'Oh, look! Flowers!'

She hurried off passed Jasmine and Jarred to get to the flowers. Morio hurried after her.

'I wonder what they are called,' Neridah said, bending down and examining them. 'You're smart, Morio, you must know.'

'I'm afraid I don't,' replied Morio. 'I have never seen these kinds of flowers before. Anyway, do you think you could be a little quieter? We don't know who could be walking through there woods.'

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be loud,' Neridah apologised.

'That's okay, we just need to be more careful, is all,' Morio said lightly.

'What is with him?' Jasmine demanded to her father. 'How can he believe that she is scared of anything? Did he forget that she made it to the finals in Rithmere?'

'Morio is just being nice, Jas,' said Jarred.

'And since when is Morio all nice like that? If someone else had done that, he would have jumped down their throat!'

'I think you need to give him more credit. He has grown much since we first met him, as have you.'

'Huh?'

Jarred didn't elaborate. Instead, he listened to Neridah telling Morio about her home town.

'I grew up in a poor village,' she was saying. 'I wanted to be a dancer, but my dad said that martial arts would make us more money. The truth is; I've never really liked fighting.'

'Oh, yeah right!' Jasmine snapped suddenly. 'I saw how you teased those competitors in Rithmere! You enjoyed it!'

Neridah glared at Jasmine, before clinging to Morio's arm.

'Oh, Morio, I'm so tired, could we have a break?' she asked, fluttering her lashes at him.

'Um, okay,' replied the startled Morio.

'That's funny, I thought that we were going to get as far as we could before dark,' Jasmine growled. 'Right, Dad?'

'I'm staying out of this,' Jarred muttered tiredly. 'I don't have the energy to deal with teenage arguments.'

'Thanks for the support!'

As darkness descended, Jarred made a small camp fire while Jasmine pulled out some food to cook and stuck them on sticks. They then sat there waiting for them to cook. During which time, Neridah talked enthusiastically away to Morio, who had no idea what she was talking about half the time.

Half an hour later, the food was ready.

'I'm starving! Let's eat!' Neridah said, picking up a stick with the cooked food. She then leant forward towards Morio, who began to lean slightly away. 'I bet you're starving too, hey, Morio! Eat up!'

'I'm fine,' Morio said uneasily. 'I'm sure _you_ are just as hungry as the rest of us.'

'Yeah, but I don't really like this stuff,' she admitted.

'You know, for someone who grew up in a poor village, you sure are a picky little princess,' Jasmine said disdainfully.

'Excuse me?' Neridah said coldly, turning to face Jasmine. Gone was her seducing look and, in its place, was one of loathing.

'Alright,' Jarred began tiredly, 'why don't you two give it a rest and try to be friends?'

Jasmine turned her cold and repugnance look upon her father.

'We just have to put up with her for one night,' Jarred whispered to Jasmine. 'Tomorrow morning we will send her off to her village. So smile and be nice. Your jealousy and anger are very unattractive on you.'

'I am _not_ jealous!' Jasmine made sure to stress the word "not". She then looked over at Neridah would was trying to feed Morio, who, in turn, was trying to stop her. He did not succeed.

'How can you sit here calmly why see throws herself all over him?' she suddenly demanded to her father. 'Look at him! He is so naïve to what she is doing!'

'Remember, Jasmine, you and Neridah are the only contact Morio has had with the opposite sex who is his age,' Jarred said unworriedly. 'He hasn't even had the Talk yet. Besides, this experience will be good for him.'

'How is this good for him?'

'Morio is a handsome young man. It wouldn't surprise me if he has many girls swarming over him, in future.'

Jasmine grumbled before she started sniggering.

'What's so funny?' asked Jarred, hesitantly. He was slightly concerned with his daughter's sudden mood change.

'I guess you won't get out of giving the Talk after all,' she sniggered. Jarred had flat out refused to give it to Jasmine. At the very thought he would start blushing.

'You were different,' Jarred muttered, before telling her to eat her dinner.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

The next day, the companions woke early and started their journey once more. Yet again, Neridah conversed non-stop to Morio, who appeared to be listening patiently, though Jarred had the suspicious that he had tuned her out. Jasmine, meanwhile, walked with her jaw clenched, trying to prevent herself from giving the other girl a piece of her mind. She still couldn't understand why she had to travel with them. She was practically over the moon when they came to a folk in the road, one leading to the Valley of the Lost and the other to Neridah's village. Finally they would be free of her.

'Neridah,' Jarred began calmly, coming to a halt at the folk, 'I think this is where we should go our separate ways. 'This path should take you to your village.' He pointed to the left path.

'It was fun having you with us,' Morio comment, 'but now I guess it is time to say goodbye.'

Neridah was silent at first, but then she smiled at Morio and grabbed his hand.

'I've changed my mind,' she said cheerfully. 'I'm going to stay with you a little longer. Come on!'

She pulled the startled Morio down the right path.

'What a nightmare!' Jasmine yelled, shaking with anger.

Jarred merely sighed and grudgingly walked off after Neridah and Morio. As if listening to Morio and Jasmine fight wasn't bad enough. Now he had to listen to Jasmine's constant anger at Neridah. It was times like these he desperately wished Anna was with them. She was better in these situations than him.

Three hours later, they came to a crystal clear river with a water fall next to it. Morio immediately ran to it.

'Let's have a break,' he said as he sat down on a rock, beside the river, and began to take off his socks and shoes.

'Why? And what are you doing?' questioned an annoyed Jasmine.

'My feet are aching. I still don't know how you guys can walk in shoes for long distances.'

'Oh, that's right. This is the first time you have worn shoes on a long journey,' Jasmine realised. 'I guess living without shoes for most of your life would make them uncomfortable in the beginning.' Her eyes then darkened as Neridah sat down next to Morio and put her feet into the water too.

'Hmm, this is really refreshing, isn't it?' she said to Morio, resting her head on his shoulder.

He merely nodded his head as he soaked his aching feet.

'Oh please,' Jasmine grumbled, before walking over to Morio and pulling him away.

'Hey, what was that for?' he asked angrily.

'Family meeting,' she said, making Morio blink with surprise as she called him family. He guessed that they were like his family now. Jarred was like the father he'd never had and Jasmine was like… his sister? That was how he saw her, wasn't it? He still couldn't work out how he felt about her.

'Well you didn't have to pull me away,' he grumbled. 'What's wrong?'

'What's wrong is that I thought that I was only going to have to put up with her for one night!' she snapped. 'Don't you see what she is doing? She wants to go with us to the Valley of the Lost!'

'Why would she want to come with us there?' Morio asked naively. 'And you need to cool off. We cannot talk when you are this angry, Jasmine.'

'You cool off!' she yelled back. 'Don't you see that she is playing you? It's as clear as day that we cannot trust her! Now, either you get rid of her, or I will!'

'Jasmine, I see you point, but we just can't leave her here,' Jarred said quietly.

'And why not, Dad?' Jasmine barked.

'No reason, forget that I said anything,' Jarred said hastily. Jasmine could be pretty scary when she was this angry, just like her mother.

'I thought you'd see it my way,' she said with a satisfied smile. She always knew how to wrap her father around her finger. 'The way I see it, we only have two choices here. One; we could knock her out and run, or two; we could push her into the river and run. Was what's it going to be.'

'That's a little harsh,' Morio answered. 'I wouldn't be able to do any of those things! She is not our enemy.'

'I have to agree with Morio on that one, Jasmine,' said Jarred.

'Fine, option number three, because I figured you two would say that. We tie her up and run away!'

'I don't think so,' Jarred commented. He was quite amazed as to how much Jasmine despised the girl. 'How about I go and talk to her, instead?'

'I like that option better,' Morio said immediately, before going back to the river and collecting his shoes.

As he put on his shoes and sock, he listened to Jarred's conversation with Neridah, which did no good whatsoever, for by the end; she was trying to seduce Morio again.

Jasmine let out a frustrated growl and shoved her hand into her father's pocket and pulled out a gold coin.

'Option four,' she muttered.

She flicked the coin into the bushes and Neridah immediately went after it.

While the girl was searching for the coin, Jasmine ripped the cloak Zeean had given Morio off his shoulders, before throwing it over him, Jarred and herself, making them turn invisible. Zeean had explained the special and unique properties of the cloak when she gave it to Morio. They then watched as Neridah resurfaced from the bushes, coin in hand, looking around at them. She then ran off in a random direction yelling out for Morio.

'Quick, let's go before she comes back!' Jasmine hissed, throwing off the cloak, grabbing Jarred and Morio's hands, and pulling them off towards their destination.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

By sunset, the companions had arrived at the Valley of the Lost. It was definitely not an appealing place. A thick grey mist hung gloomily on the gorge's floor and reached the very top of the trees, stirring by the slow movements of half-seen figures that gathered in the depths. Faint, damp smells of green decay, rotting wood, and smothered life brushed the friends' faces like an echo of mist. Jasmine could now understand why Morio had left Kree and Filli at the Valley's entrance. He was right. This place was no place for them.

'Can you believe this fog?' Morio said nervously.

'Look over there!' Jasmine gasped suddenly, stopping dead and grabbing Morio and Jarred. The two men both went for their weapons.

Before them were almost transparent people coming towards them. They were shortly followed by a man dressed in a black hooded robe with a long white beard. He held two thick grey cords in each hand, which stretched behind him into the mist as though they were attached to something.

'I'm so glad you've come,' he said quietly. 'I've been practically bored to tears. It's been so long since we've had guests. Don't worry about the others,' he added as the companions eyed the transparent people nervously, 'they only interested in feeling the warmth of your life.'

The companions still did not relax.

'Friends, you are most welcome to the Valley of the Lost,' the strange man continued, giving them a bow. 'You really have no idea what a pleasure it is to have you here.'

'Who are you?' Morio asked rudely.

'I am the Guardian of the Valley of the Lost,' the man replied. 'And you're here to try and steal my Diamond, aren't you? But that's no matter. I'd like to invite you to my home and play a little game. If you win the game, then the Diamond is yours. Follow me.'

The companions hesitantly followed him. The Guardian was nothing like they were expecting. He was totally different to all the others. While they were all brutes, this Guardian seemed to be more civil.

The Guardian ended up leading them to the far end of the Valley. When they arrived, the companions couldn't help but gasp at the small palace.

'What do you think of my home? A palace fit for a king.' the Guardian inquired as four hairless, gross and misshapen creatures, covered in sores and boils with twisted arms hanging almost to the ground appeared. The grey cords the Guardian held were attached to these creatures.

Jarred, Morio and Jasmine's hands immediately went to their weapons.

'Don't worry,' the Guardian chuckled. 'These are my pets. I have kept them hidden until now, not wishing to alarm you, but you will learn to love them as I have done. They protect me and keep me company. Their names are Pride, Envy, Hate and Greed.'

Each creature looked at their master when he spoke their name.

'Their names are a little joke of mine,' he continued, leading them through the palace's eerie corridors. 'While each of them has one of the faults mentioned, none has that fault after which it is named. Greed is not greedy, Pride is not proud, Envy is not envious and while Hate is not envious either, it has never hated in its life. Is that not humorous?'

'Really witty,' Morio replied sarcastically.

The Guardian glanced at him before saying, 'Like children, my pets sometimes do not agree and need a firm hand. The envious one and the proud one are both frightened of Greed, but they will fight if they have to. Envy once nearly killed the greedy one, fighting over table scraps.'

They had now arrived at their destination. It was a room with deep red curtains covering the walls, screening out the mist and the other rooms. Masterful paintings and a huge mirror in a carved frame hung from the fabric. On the floor was a rug rich in flowers, fruits and birds, with a picture of a humble hermit repeated at each end. Upon the rug, in front of a couch heaped with cushions, stood a low table scattered with books. Hundreds more packed the shelves towering around the walls. At the far end of the room was a glass door.

Inside the lesser room, on the other side of the glass door, was a glass table set exactly in the centre. On the table was a golden casket. Jarred pushed at the door with his shoulder but it did not budge.

'No force can unlock this door,' the Guardian informed them. 'It is sealed by magic and will remain so until you have won the game of wits with me. So will you play or will you leave this Valley and never return?'

'You're giving us a chance to escape?' Morio questioned disbelievingly.

'Of course.'

'So you are saying that if we win, you will permit us to leave this Valley, unharmed, with the Diamond?' Jarred inquired suspiciously.

'You have my word, but be warned, if you fail, you will join my other subjects.'

Jarred glanced at the two teenagers in the room. They nodded.

'Very well, we accept,' Jarred informed the Guardian.

'Excellent! You must find out one word. Once you have found his word, the door will be unlocked. The word you need to find is my true name. The clues to the riddle are in this palace and the first is hidden in this very room. In fact, it is as plain as the nose on your face. You have the life of this candle.' He pointed at a tall, unlit candle that stood on the table below the mirror. A flickering yellow flame appeared. 'Good luck.'

He then left the room with his pets.

For an hour the companions searched the room, looking at anything that would give them a clue to the Guardian's true name. Jasmine and Jarred pulled out books and flicked through them while Morio looked under every nook and cranny.

'It's hopeless!' Jasmine groaned. 'His name could be in anyone of these books!'

'Why don't we just break the door?' Morio suggested.

'We can't do that,' replied Jarred.

'Why not?' Morio demanded.

'The Diamond is a symbol of innocence, purity and strength,' Jarred explained, 'and if the Diamond is gained by treachery, violence, or desired out of greed or envy, it will bring bad fortune. Great evil comes upon those who gain it without honour.'

'Then why hasn't something happened to the Shadow Lord?' Morio demanded again.

'Morio, your faith in my intelligence is both flattering and unrealistic. I do not understand everything that happens when it comes to omens and magic, but I do know that we should deed the Diamond's warning.'

'Then we're going to have to figure this out quickly,' said Morio, 'because the candle is half way gone.'

'Remember what the Guardian said before he left? He said that "the first is hidden in this very room. In fact, it is as plain as the nose on your face",' Jarred said thoughtfully. 'And to look at the tip of your nose you either have to go cross-eyed or you look at your reflection.'

'So the first clue must have something to do with that mirror!' Jasmine exclaimed, jumping to her feet and hurry over to it.

'It looked ordinary to me,' Morio commented.

'I'm sure this is the answer to his riddle!' Jasmine replied stubbornly.

She reached out and touched the mirror. The moment her fingers touched its smooth surface, a bright white light emitted from it, making the three occupants in the room shield their eyes. When they looked back at it, they could no longer see their reflections, but another riddle. Written upon the mirror was the following inscription:

_My secret name waits within.  
>My first the first letter of Pride's great sin.<br>My second and my last begin,  
>The sum of errors in the twin.<br>My third begins a sparkle bright -  
>The treasure pure? The point of light?<br>My Fourth, the sum of happiness,  
>For those who try my name to guess.<em>

'That makes no sense!' Morio exclaimed in dismay.

'Yes, it does,' Jarred replied calmly. 'Endon and I used to work on puzzles like this during our studies. The riddle informs us how many letters there are in the Guardian's name and informs us how to find out what the letters are.'

He grabbed a piece of paper and quill off the table.

'So according to the riddle, the Guardian has five letters in his name,' Jasmine said as Jarred drew five horizontal lines on the paper. 'It also tells us that we have to discover Pride's sin.'

'How are we meant to find out that?' asked Morio.

'Well, we know that it's not Pride, so the first letter isn't P,' replied Jasmine. 'That only leaves E, G or H.

'That still doesn't help us.'

'Yes, it does,' Jarred said slowly. 'Remember when we arrived first arrived and the Guardian was telling us about his pets?'

'You mean his ramblings?' Morio questioned.

'I don't think they were ramblings. He was actually giving us hints to the game. He told us that the envious monster and the proud one are both afraid of Greed. This means that Greed cannot be envious or proud and we also know that it is not greedy. As a result, Greed is hateful, so Pride's greatest sin isn't hate.'

'That's right!' Jasmine exclaimed, understanding what her father was say. 'He also told us that Envy once nearly killed the greedy one, fighting over table scraps. So Envy is not greedy and it is not envious, but it can't be hateful either seeing as that is Greed. So Envy is proud. He also said that Hate is not envious, which makes him greedy, leaving Pride's greatest sin to be envy! The first letter is E!'

As Jarred wrote the letter E on the first horizontal line, Morio looked at his friends amazed. He would have never been able to work that out.

'So, second letter,' Jasmine muttered, looking at the mirror again. '_My second and my last begin with the sum of errors in the twin_…'

'Twin? Twin? So we have to find something that looks identical, but after examination it can be seen that it is not?' Jarred muttered thoughtfully, gazing around the room.

Jasmine and Morio soon joined him in gazing around the room looking for something that could be a twin, but they couldn't see anything.

'Let's come back to it,' Morio suggested.

'Good idea,' muttered Jarred, reading the next lines of the clue. '_My third begins a sparkle bright – The treasure pure? The point of light?_ I have no idea on that one.'

'Didn't you say that diamonds are a symbol of purity, Jarred?' Morio asked, seemingly random.

'Yes.'

'I think I know where the next clue is.'

Father and daughter turned to look at Morio and saw that he was pointing to a picture that had either a star or a diamond in each square except the last.

'Diamonds are pure and are a treasure, while stars are points of light used in navigation,' Morio explained. 'And both of them sparkle bright. I think the rhyme is asking us which one goes in the last square; a star or diamond.'

They stared at the picture trying to find a pattern.

'Maybe it's a diamond?' Jasmine mused aloud. 'If you look at the four rows, there is three diamonds and one star in the first row… all-stars the next… all diamonds after that… and maybe the last row is mimicking the first row?'

Jarred didn't look convinced, but his eyes soon widened.

'I think you're right, except, you get the answer in a different pattern,' he said, before using his finger and drawing a cross through the centre of the picture, separating it into four equivalent parts. 'Look at the picture in four separate squares. In the first square there is only one diamond and three stars. The next square has two of each... the one after, three diamonds and one square. This leaves the last square to be four diamonds. As you move along you add one more diamond and remove a star.'

Jarred put a D on the third line.

'Let's read the next clue,' said Jasmine, hurrying back to the mirror and reading it aloud. '_My fourth is the sum of happiness for those who try my name to guess_. How much happiness has come to those who have tried to guess the Guardian's name?' she asked.

'Judging by the looks on his "subjects" faces, I'd say that there is none,' replied Morio.

'I'm guessing the Guardian is playing a little trick here by using the word "sum",' said Jarred. 'The fourth is in fact the number zero.'

'The next letter is a Z?'

'No, but if you write it as a number it looks like an O,' Jarred explained as he wrote an O in the fourth spot. 'That only leaves the sum of errors in the twin.'

They began to search the room again looking for a twin. After ten minutes of searching, Jasmine yelled out saying that she had found it. The twin was the rug with the hermit.

Jarred and Morio were by her side in seconds.

'The only question now is; _are _there any differences?' she pondered aloud.

'Aren't they obvious?' Morio said, staring at the rug. 'Look at the bee hive… there are more bees coming out of the hive. Then there is the hermits cord around his waist… the knot is on opposite sides. He is also holding three flowers in one picture while the other one is holding only two. The mushrooms have spots in one picture and the other doesn't, just like one tree has flowers and the other doesn't. The bird on his hand has feathers on its head while the other doesn't. Another difference is one tree has more branches than the other. The sack is missing its tie on the left.'

He then fell quiet unable to see any more.

'How did you see all of them so quickly?' Jasmine was looking impressed.

'My eyes are sharper than yours,' he said simply. 'Growing up in the Forests of Silence, I learnt that even the smallest of details could save your life.'

'Are you sure there isn't any more differences?' Jasmine asked looking down at her father's paper. He had written an E in the second and last space… Eedoe. 'We already have an E.'

'The Guardian is cunning, Jas,' replied Jarred. 'He thought that we would be tricked by that.'

'No, he isn't,' Morio said suddenly. 'There is another difference. One hermit's arm, the arm on which the bird sat, was held above the tie of his robe. The other was not. There are nine differences.'

'That can't be true,' Jarred gasped, looking horrified.

'Why?' Morio looked unconcerned.

'If you replace the two E's with N's, it spells Endon,' he said making the door swing silently open.

'It can't be, Dad,' Jasmine said reasonably. 'You saw it with your own eyes. King Endon is dead.'

'I see that the discovery of my name has surprised you.'

The companions turned and found the Guardian standing in the doorway.

'You're name isn't really Endon, is it?' asked Jarred, his throat dry.

'Of course it is,' the Guardian smirked. 'And if you are asking if I'm King Endon, then I'll say yes to that too.'

'No, that cannot be true!' Jarred looked horrified. 'You look nothing like him and I know my best friend would never join the Shadow Lord!'

'The Shadow Lord showed me the truth,' the Guardian replied, making Jarred tense up. 'Let him show you too, Jarred. Abandon this quest for the Belt of Deltora and join us.'

Jarred was shaking his head.

'I shall not believe you are the real Endon,' he said.

'Jarred, give me the Belt. You know it rightfully belongs to me.'

'No, I won't,' Jarred said stubbornly.

The Guardian's eyes hardened.

'So be it,' he said.

He then snaked forward and attacked the off-guarded Jarred, while his pets held off Jasmine and Morio. The Guardian managed to lift up Jarred's shirt and saw that he did not wear the Belt. Upon seeing this, he went for Jasmine and ordered two of his pets to hold off Jarred.

The Guardian's lunged at her and his hands managed to grasp the Belt of Deltora. The moment he grabbed the Belt it became ice cold. The Guardian's mouth gaped in a shriek of agony and the monsters were capering around him, throwing up their heads and howling, straining at their leads, trying to get away from him.

The Guardian fell to his knees, throwing back his head, still clinging to the Belt as though he could not let go. Envy, Greed, Hate and Pride turned on him in frenzy, their jaws frothing, their terrible teeth ripping and tearing at him, shredding his robe to ribbons and slicing into the shrivelled grey flesh beneath.

With a thrill of horror, the companions saw what the robe had been hiding. They saw four great, oozing lumps on the Guardian's chest with pulsing, fleshy cords that arose from them, twisting and snaking through his sleeves and on to the swollen necks of the savage, attacking beasts. The Guardian had called the beasts his pets, but they were actually part of him. They were like vile growths from his body.

'Release me!' the Guardian begged to the companions. 'They're eating me alive! Cut the cords! I beg you!'

Unable to stand the Guardian's agonising screams of pain, and unable to stand aimlessly by and watch the scene before him, Morio leapt forward, daggers in hand, and cut the cords connecting the beasts to the Guardian.

Yellow-green liquid gushed from the wounds as the cords writhed and their cut ends flopped horribly to the ground. The monsters swayed before falling to the ground where they lay twitching. Then they were still.

Morio bent down next to the Guardian, while Jasmine went for the Diamond. When she came back, she saw that the Guardian had changed. He was the hermit in the rug. The companions started down at him, before jumping violently as the palace began to crumble around them.

'We have to get out of here now!' Jarred yelled, picking up the hermit and leading the way to safety.

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 3 December 2012  
><strong>Updated:<strong> **  
>Beta:<strong>

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED, FAIR USE ONLY.**


	14. The Ceremony

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE CEREMONY**

Now safely away from the crumbling palace, Morio, Jasmine and Jarred began to notice some changes to the Valley. They watched as the fog slowing disappeared and the animals returned. They also watched as the transparent subjects were revealed to be all the foolish pirates and crooks who had come seeking fortune.

They had all agreed that they would not rest until they were safely out of the Valley and hidden in a nearby forest. It took them a few hours to get out of the Valley to shelter, seeing as Jarred was still carrying the ex-guardian, but when they did, an overjoyed Filli and Kree came rushing towards Morio who greeted them warmly.

That night, as they sat around a small camp fire, the hermit awoke and abruptly sat up, looking at the companions.

'Are you alright?' asked Jasmine.

'Thanks to you I am,' he replied with a sincere bow of his head.

'You're not really King Endon, are you?' asked Morio.

'No, I am not. My name is Fardeep. I was once a rich and respectable man, but I was no king. I was just the keeper of an inn in a place called Rithmere. Bandits invaded the town. My family was killed and my inn was taken from me. The Shadow Lord, it seems, had a use for it.'

'Could you be speaking of the Champion Inn?' asked Jarred.

'Yes.'

'Why did you make us believe that you were King Endon in the Guardian's game?'

'The Shadow Lord wished that anyone seeking the Diamond to think that the King had deserted them so they would despair and lose any hope to free Deltora from his rule.'

Jasmine gasped.

'Barda knew,' she said. 'Remember the warning he gave us? _Even if you do find the Diamond, it will only bring you despair_. He knew the answer.'

'If he knew the answer, then why didn't he tell us?' Morio exclaimed angrily. 'He would have saved us a lot of effort, not to mention minimising the risk of us being trapped there forever!'

'I'm sure he had his reasons,' Jarred said quietly, before turning to Fardeep. 'What will you do now? Do you have anywhere to go?'

'I'm afraid not, but I'm sure I'll think of something,' replied Fardeep, confidently.

'Why don't you come with us to Tora?' Morio suggested. 'I'm sure Zeean and the other Torans would welcome you.'

'I think I will.' Fardeep smiled at him.

The next morning Morio, Jarred, Jasmine and Fardeep made their way back to Tora. The journey was actually quite easy due to the extra member of the party. They didn't get a second glance.

A week later they arrived at Tora and were welcome with open arms. The Torans were all delighted to see that Jarred, Jasmine and Morio had all returned safely, but none of them were as thrilled as Zeean, who immediately embraced Morio and then Jasmine and Jarred.

'I'm so happy you have returned safely,' she said.

'So are we,' said Morio, before introducing Fardeep. 'Zeean, this is our friend Fardeep. We were wondering if you would be able to let Fardeep stay here. He has nowhere else to go.'

'Of course he can. You can even stay with me until we can find a house for you.' Zeean smiled, before ushering them all inside her house for something to eat.

That night, Zeean introduced the companions to Marilen, the only known Heir after Prince Lief. She was a gentle young woman with great dark eyes. She was also the girl Jasmine had spoken with when they had first arrived at Tora with Dain.

After the introductions were made, Jasmine removed the Belt and placed it around Marilen's waist. Nothing happened.

'That was spectacular,' Morio commented sarcastically.

'Shut it, Morio,' Jasmine snapped.

'Maybe we need to have the approval of all seven tribes,' Fardeep suggested. 'Just like when they gave Adin the gems.'

'Fardeep may have a point,' Zeean mused. 'If we can find someone from each tribe to swear loyalty to the Heirs of Adin, then maybe the Belt's full powers will be returned.'

'It's a plan,' Jarred sighed. 'What have we got to lose?'

'Time?' Morio suggested. 'We could just be chasing a fairy tale.'

'Oh aren't we Mr Optimistic?' Jasmine said sardonically.

'No, I'm being realistic.'

'We don't have time for this,' Jarred said, preventing an argument from erupting and coming back to the topic at hand. 'Well, we've already got the Del and Toran tribes,' he said, 'and we know the Dread Gnomes and Ralads. So that only leaves the Plains people, Mere folk and Jalis.'

'I am from the Mere tribe,' Fardeep informed the occupants of the room.

'That means we only have to get messages to Gla-Thon and Manus,' said Jasmine, getting excited. 'They will surely help us, but how are we to find the Jalis and Plain.'

The occupants fell silent, thinking, though five minutes later their thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

Curious as to whom it was, Zeean got to her feet and went to the door. The friends sat there listening intently.

'Barda! Dain! What a pleasant surprise! Do come in!' they heard Zeean exclaimed ecstatically. 'What are you doing here?'

'Sorry for the intrusion, Zeean, but we were in the area and were wondering if you have heard any news from Morio, Jarred and Jasmine,' replied the voice of Barda.

'Why don't you see them yourself?' They could all tell that Zeean was smiling from her tone of voice.

Moments later, she reappeared followed by Barda, Dain and Steven.

'Jasmine! Morio!' Dain hurried over to them with a huge grin on his face.

'Hi, Dain.' Jasmine got to her feet and hugged him, while Morio merely nodded to him.

Barda glanced around at the occupants in the room. When his eyes fell upon Fardeep, his face darkened.

'You!' he snarled, reaching for his sword.

'No!' Jasmine's hand grabbed his, preventing him from using his sword. 'Barda, this is Fardeep. He is no longer the Guardian. He is not our enemy or yours.'

'You have much to explain,' Barda muttered, putting his sword away.

'As do you,' Morio said harshly. 'Why didn't you tell us that the answer to the Guardian's game was Endon?'

'Because I believed that he was the King,' Barda admitted. 'And I thought it better to never let anyone learn what had truly happened to their King. They had suffered enough. Far better, I thought, to let them believe he was dead.'

'Then you played into the Shadow Lord's hands,' Morio said quietly.

Barda flinched before turning to Jarred.

'Did you succeed in the quest?'

'Yes and no,' replied Jarred. 'We have acquired all the gems; we just have to unite all seven tribes. So far with had the Del, Toran and Mere tribes present and we have two candidates we need to get messages to for the Ralads and Dread Gnomes. The other tribes we are clueless.'

'There I can help you,' said Barda. 'Steven is from the Plains and Glock is from the Jalis tribe.'

'We can't have Glock!' Morio said at once.

'Then you cannot have the Jalis' for he is the last of his tribe… at least as far as he and I know.'

'But –'

'No buts, Morio,' Zeean interrupted calmly, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. 'Whatever this Glock is like, we must ask him to join us. Where is he now?' she added to Barda.

'He's at Withick Mire, a Resistance stronghold near Del,' Barda replied with a sigh. 'I had to send him there because he was causing trouble. Withick Mere is less – confined. I believe that would be the perfect place for us to meet as no one in their right mind goes there willingly.'

'Sure, but how will we get the messages to Gla-Thon and Manus?' asked Jarred.

Kree squawked in Morio's ear.

'Kree says that he will take the arrowhead the Dread Gnomes gave us to Dread Mountain and inform them of our plan,' Morio informed his companions.

'How will he inform them?' asked Dain. 'No one except you and animals can understand him.'

Morio shook his head.

'The Kin can understand him too.'

'Well that's Gla-Thon taken care of,' muttered Jarred, 'but what of Manus?'

Barda looked at Steven, who nodded his head.

'The bees can take a message to him,' he said. 'There are many benefits of being the son of Queen Bee.'

'Indeed there are,' Barda agreed.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

After much discussion and tactful planning, the messages were sent and the friends broke up into small groups and made their way to Withick Mere. Morio, Jarred and Jasmine ended up travelling in the back of Steven's caravan. While it was the safest place for the three companions, it was also not the most enjoyable ride. Due to all of Steven's stock, they were practically sitting upon each other to fit in the back. Filli was to only one sitting comfortably due to her size.

Even though Steven's caravan was theoretically the safest place for them, they ended up being injured. When they were nearly at Withick Mere they found their path blocked by Grey Guards. So, while Steven distracted them, the companions snuck out the back of the caravan and made for some nearby hills. However, to get to the hills they had to make their way across some Gripper fields. Unfortunately, they didn't know what Gripper Fields were which resulted in Jarred being attacked and seriously wounded.

Jasmine, of course, was hysterical, especially when she couldn't wake her unconscious father currently covered in his own blood. Thankfully, the two teenagers managed to get him safely away from danger and minutes later, Steven came and rescued them. He then rushed them to Withick Mere and when they arrived, Jarred was rushed inside and was surprisingly tended to by Glock.

During Jarred's several days healing process, preparation was underway for the ceremony. Resistance members could be seen clearing out the room the ceremony would be held in while Manus, Nanion and Gla-Thon arrived. And then the day of the ceremony arrived.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

The Belt ceremony was about to begin. The Resistance members sat anxiously in the shadows of the back of the room. Doom stood in the darkest corner while Dain sat amongst the other Resistance members, his young face eager with another unknown emotion playing in his eyes. Nanion was also sitting among the Resistance members.

At the very front of the room, directly in the centre was a table covered with purple cloth. On the table laid the mighty Belt of Deltora with all seven gems reflecting the candle light that lit the first half of the room. Also in the first half of the room, seated in a semi-circle around the Belt, with their backs to the Resistance, sat Jasmine, Glock, Steven, Gla-Thon, Zeean, Fardeep, and Manus. Each of them sat there representing the seven tribes; the Del tribe, the Jalis tribe, the Plains Folk, the Dread Gnomes, Torans, and the Ralads. All of them were honoured to be given such a momentous task. They were also very nervous and excited about what they were about to do.

Jarred, who had recovered from the Gripper Fields, thanks to Glock's medicine, stood at the front and to the side of the representatives. Morio stood half hidden in the shadows, looking thoughtful and looked as though he was debating about something. Dain stood next to him, his face expressionless. Marilen, however, stood next to Jarred, trembling with excitement and nerves. If everything went as planned, she was likely to be the next Queen of Deltora. It was both an honour and a burden. Barda stood at the back of the room leaning against the wall with Min sitting in a chair next to him.

'Alright then, I think we're ready to proceed with the ceremony,' Jarred began. 'Representatives of the seven tribes, we are gathered here today to pledge an oath of allegiance to Adin's Heir and the future of Deltora. It is written in _The Belt of Deltora_, that each gem has a power of its own, but together they create a spell far more powerful than the sum of its parts could ever be. In other words, only when the seven tribes combine, like their gems, can the next Queen take her place and rid us of the Shadow Lord.

'Now, when your name is called, please approach the Belt and place your hand on your tribe's gem,' Jarred continued. 'Representing the Plains People… Steven.'

Steven got to his feet, shaking ever so slightly, and walked over to the Belt of Deltora where he placed his large hand gently upon the Opal.

'Representing the Ralads… Manus.'

Just like Steven, Manus got to his feet nervously and walked over to the Belt, only he placed his small blue hand on the Ruby.

'I cannot believe this is happening,' he said. 'The people of Ralad believe. We believe in the power of the Ruby.'

'Zeean, tribal leader of the Torans and grandmother to Prince Lief,' Jarred said calmly.

Zeean stood up gracefully and made her way to join Steven and Manus. She gently placed her hand on the Amethyst.

'Great Amethyst,' she said, 'please leaned us your powers tonight.'

'Glock, the last of the Jalis,' said Jarred.

Glock did not move. Instead, he was looking down sadly.

'Glock?' Jasmine said quietly.

'I was the only one who survived as my tribe tried to defend this land when the Shadow Lord invaded,' he said quietly, his gruff voice full of emotion. 'Why me, I will never know. I was just a simple warrior, not a leader of men. I only wish the others were here.'

He then broke down quietly.

No one knew what to say, except Morio, surprisingly.

'But they are here, Glock,' he said quietly. 'They are here within you, and I'm sure that they are watching over you as we speak. I may not know much about your tribe, but I figure that they would want you to remain strong, like the mighty Jalis warrior you are… to be strong like your gem.'

Glock looked at him, before nodding his head and confidently standing up and marching over to the Belt of Deltora.

'I shall never forgive the Shadow Lord,' he declared as he placed his hand on the Diamond.

'Gla-Thon, granddaughter of the Dread Gnomes tribal leader, Fa-Glin, and future tribal leader,' said Jarred when he was sure Glock wasn't going to say anything else.

With her head held high, Gla-Thon proudly joined the other representatives around the Belt and placed her hand on the Emerald.

'Representing the Mere tribe… Fardeep.'

Just like those before him, Fardeep went and placed his hand on his tribe's gem, the Lapis Lazuli.

'Lapis Lazuli, we ask you for your divine protection,' he said.

'And representing the Del tribe… Jasmine.' Jarred's face was alive with pride as he watched Jasmine walk forward. He had never been prouder of her. She had grown much since she ran away from home to join him on the quest for the Belt of Deltora.

'Zeean will now say the oath,' said Jarred.

'As the representatives of the seven tribes, renew our ancient vow to unite under the power of the Belt of Deltora,' Zeean said quietly. 'We pledge our allegiance to Adin's rightful Heir.'

'We swear,' the other representative said as one.

The moment the words left their lips, the Belt began to glow brightly, emitting a bright pure blue light. Everyone in the room gasped. They could not believe their eyes.

It then began to grown warmer and eventually, the representatives had to pull their hands away as the steel was too hot for them to touch.

'The Heir is definitely in this room,' Jasmine said happily. She smiled over at Zeean before grinning over at her father.

'Marilen, would you step forward please,' Jarred asked the young lady next to him.

She nodded, and taking a deep breath, she went and stood at the front of the room. Zeean picked up the Belt of Deltora and began to walk towards the young Toran. Her eyes were filled with tears of joy… and sorrow. Once before Marilen, she carefully placed the Belt around the Heir's waist and waited. Nothing happened. The Belt did not recognise Marilen as the rightful Heir.

'How can this be,' Zeean muttered. 'Marilen is the only Heir after Lief. The only reason it would not glow would be if Lief was still alive, which he is not.'

'Maybe he is,' Jasmine said quietly.

Everyone turned to look at her, but she ignored them. Her eyes were on one person and one person only; Morio.

'I think there is a reason why you look like Lief, Morio,' Jasmine told him quietly. 'I think you are Prince Lief.'

Morio just stared at her before he burst out laughing.

'Yeah, nice one, Jasmine,' he laughed.

'I'm being serious.'

Morio abruptly stopped laughing.

'I'm not him,' he said firmly. 'Do I look and sound like a Prince to you? My education is next to nothing. I am more at home is a forest than a building, and you know, I might have lost my early memories, but I think I would remember the little detail of being a Prince!'

'But how do you know that?' Jasmine argued.

In the background, Marilen placed the Belt of Deltora back on the table. Filli, jumped off Morio's shoulder to have a look at it.

Morio did not reply.

'Think about it, please! Prince Lief was thrown out a window and the last thing you remember is falling from the sky. What if, by some miracle, you were somehow taken to the Forests of Silence –'

'Jasmine, stop it,' Morio interrupted. 'Do you even hear what you are saying?'

'She has a point, Morio,' Jarred said pointedly.

'Look, I'm not Lief!' Morio snapped, finally losing his temper. 'And you know what else? I don't want to be a Prince or King! In saying that, I am returning back to the Forests of Silence.'

'What? Why?' Jasmine could not believe what she was hearing.

'You knew that this day was going to come,' said Morio, his voice softening ever so slightly. 'I have helped you find the seven gems as the Elder Tree said I should, but now it is time for me to return home where I belong. Before I go, I will give you this one piece of advice; you should give up now while you still can. Deltora does not need another pathetic King or Queen. Come on, Filli.' He held out his arm for the small creature who immediately ran to him. He then picked up his bag and left the building.

Everyone just stared at the door he had just exited through.

'I can't believe that he is gone,' Jasmine said sadly, absently grabbing the Belt and putting it back around her waist.

'Jasmine, we knew that there was always a chance that Morio would return to the Forests of Silence,' Jarred replied desolately.

'What do we do now?' Manus asked quietly. 'Who will wear the Belt?'

'In a few nights time is the annual Deltora Festival in Del,' Min answered thoughtfully. 'Maybe the Heir is located there.'

'So what do you suggest we do?' Glock inquired. 'Go around randomly putting the Belt around people's waists?'

'What other choice do we have?'

'Maybe Morio was right,' Nanion muttered. 'Maybe we have put too much faith in the Belt of Deltora.'

'I don't believe that for a second!' Jasmine replied fiercely. 'The Belt is the key. We just have to find the right lock.'

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 3 December 2012  
><strong>Updated:<strong> **  
>Beta:<strong>

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED, FAIR USE ONLY.**


	15. The Prince of Deltora

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: ****THE PRINCE OF DELTORA**

At dawn, the Resistance joined the rest of the Deltorans making their way to the City of Del for the annual festival. The party stayed together without fear or worry as they knew that they would blend in with the crowd and the Grey Guards wouldn't be bothered checking out every single citizen to find the ones they were after.

Min and Zeean travelled with Steven to save them walking the great distance, with Barda and Jarred animatedly talking on one side of the caravan while Jasmine walked with Dain and Marilen. The other representatives and Resistance members surrounded them.

When they arrive at the City of Del, Barda gave his freedom fighter a gesture and they immediately spread out and mingled with the crowd. They would be ready to act at a moment's notice should trouble emerge.

'How will we know who to try?' Jasmine asked Jarred and Barda.

The two men exchanged looks.

'That is what we have been trying to figure out,' Barda admitted. 'But we have no idea. The Heir could be anyone. Adin had several children, and as the line went on, many of them married out of the Toran and Del tribes. The next Heir could be a rich snob, an average man, or a poor beggar.'

'So are we literally going to go around placing the Belt around people's waists?' asked Jasmine.

'Not if we can help it, we won't,' said Jarred. 'That will draw too much attention to us. For all we know, the some of these citizens may be Ols, and if we reveal an Ol, people will start to panic.'

'Then what do you suggest we do?'

Barda and Jarred made a slight gesture signalling that they were open to ideas.

For a while, the party stood there in deep thought, but it appeared as though no one could come up with a reasonable idea. That was until Dain spoke up.

'Why don't we engage people in conversation and gradually bring up their family background,' he suggested. 'If the Heir is here, they may know if they descend from royalty.'

'It's worth a shot,' Jasmine sighed.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

Prandine walked up on stage and looked down at all the silent, but glaring faces, but he didn't care. The only face he was looking for was Jarred's and Zeean's. When he found them, he smiled coldly.

'People of Deltora,' he began in his silken voice. 'It has come to our Lord's attention that you have been trying to find the next Heir of Deltora. Some of you, I know have no idea what I am talking about, but needn't you worry for I am addressing the small group who, a few days ago, participated in a ceremony to find the next Heir. In particular, I speak to you, Jarred of Del and Zeean of Tora, for you will hand over the Belt of Deltora or else.'

'Or else what, Prandine?' Jarred yelled out angrily at him. 'Nothing you say or do will make us hand over the last hope of Deltora.'

'I thought you would say that.'

Prandine clicked his fingers and two Grey Guards appeared with a struggling, anorexic teenager, dressed in rags with a bag over his head. He was then forced to his knees next to Prandine.

'I have a surprise for you, Lady Zeean. A surprise that I think will make you change your mind!' Prandine ripped the back off the teenagers head. The boy's blue eyes immediately glared up at Prandine, while his blonde hair framed his starved face. He then looked nervously out at the crowd, but his eyes widened when he saw Zeean.

'Grandma,' he whispered.

Zeean's hands went straight to her mouth as she began to cry. Sitting at Prandine's feet was none other than Prince Lief.

No one made a sound. The citizens just stared at their Prince. He was alive.

'How – how is this possible?' Glock managed to say eventually. 'Jarred saw the boy thrown out the window.'

'Indeed he was, but what Jarred did not see was an Ak-Baba catch the spoilt little brat,' Prandine replied. 'So, Jarred… Zeean, my Master is willing to do a trade. You hand over that cursed Belt, and the Prince is free to go and live with you in Tora, like you have always wanted.'

'And if we don't?' Gla-Thon asked.

'You watch as I slit his throat right before your eyes.'

'We chose neither,' Steven growled, before gasping as Neverts appeared.

His brother immediately went and protected Prince Lief. He threw Prandine off the platform before killing the two Grey Guards. With the enemies gone, he threw the young Prince over his shoulder, jumped down and grabbed Steven, before running off with them. Jasmine, the other representatives, Jarred, Nanion, Barda and Dain ran off after him. They went and hid in a secret passage Jasmine had found when she was a little girl.

'Grandma!' Lief exclaimed, hurrying and embracing Zeean tightly the moment his hands were free of his bounds. 'I thought you were dead!'

'I thought you were dead too, precious,' Zeean said with a sob.

'I feel as though I'm looking at Morio,' Jasmine muttered. Lief surprisingly tensed up at the name.

'You have met, Morio?' he asked them.

'Yes, you know him?' Jasmine replied shocked.

'Indeed I do. He is one of the Shadow Lord's servants. He was designed to make people believe that he was me, if the need arose,' Lief explained. 'He was sent to the Forests of Silence to protect one of the Belt gems in case anyone tried to fix the Belt and find an Heir. From what I learnt from Prandine, his task was to discourage who ever sort the gems, and if he didn't succeed he was to kill them.'

'That makes sense,' Dain said thoughtfully. 'Remember, before we left, that he told us to give up on the quest.'

'That is true,' Jasmine said, now feeling hurt and betrayed. 'There were also times during the quest when he wanted to give up or change our minds about something. When we were going to the Lake of Tears he tried to urge us against it, but at the time, we thought it was for Kree's safety. Then there was the time at the City of the Rats, he was asking us why we were even bothering to restore the Belt.'

'It was like Dain said on the River Queen,' Jarred said quietly. 'The Shadow Lord knows our weakness is to find Adin's Heir so he made an Ol to slowly manipulate us into thinking something. He played us well.'

'Well it doesn't matter now,' Glock growled. 'He is long gone and we still have the Belt.'

'You have the Belt of Deltora?' Lief's face lit up. 'I thought that it had been destroyed!'

'Jarred was able to fix it, and then he and his daughter found the gems,' Zeean informed her grandson.

'Then you have my eternal thanks.' Lief gave Jarred and Jasmine a small bow.

Jasmine took off the Belt and handed it to Lief. The Prince was about to take his family's heirloom, when he suddenly stopped and his eyes widened.

'Where is the Topaz?' he asked.

Everyone looked at the Belt.

'But, it was there during the ceremony!' Jasmine gasped.

'Morio,' Nanion said quietly. 'He must have taken it.'

'But how could he?' Manus asked. 'He was nowhere near the Belt.'

'And an Ol would not be able to touch the Belt,' said Dain. 'No servant of the Shadow Lord can.'

'That's not true,' Jarred said quickly. 'Prandine and all the advisors before him could.'

'Be that as it may, he was still nowhere near the Belt,' said Barda.

'No, but Filli was,' Steven said, eyes wide. 'I saw her looking at it. She must have somehow removed the gem when none of us were looking!'

'Then we must find Morio and get it back!' Jasmine exclaimed.

'But we don't know where he is,' Gla-Thon said glumly, 'and even if we do find him, we don't know that he still has it.'

'Oh, I still have it.'

The group turned and looked down the passage. Morio was standing before them and in his hand was none other than the Topaz.

Jasmine couldn't help but shudder as she looked at the boy she thought was her friend. His blue eyes were colder than the deepest depths of the ocean, while his face showed nothing but hatred.

'What are you doing here?' Glock growled.

'I'm here to kill that worthless thing you call Prince,' Morio growled, his eyes on Lief who gulped and moved backwards.

Without warning, Morio charged, dodging the attacks of Jasmine, Barda, Jarred, Glock, Nanion and Gla-Thon. Filli and Kree made sure to give him a hand. However, just as Morio was about to strike Lief, Neverts appeared and grabbed his arms. He held the boy high in the air, while he tried to take the Topaz off of him.

The moment Neverts touched the Topaz, it began to clear his mind and he realised something. He looked at the boy in his hand, who had stopped struggling, eyes wide.

'Please, Neverts,' Morio begged quietly.

Neverts nodded and placed Morio down gently, before returning to Steven.

'Why the hell did he do that for?' Glock yelled as Morio ran forward and shoved his dagger into the right side of Lief's chest. Zeean screamed, before gasping as Lief was soon revealed to be nothing more than an Ol.

'He was a fake,' Jasmine whispered, as Morio turned to face his friends. Kree and Filli made their way back to Morio. He threw the Topaz to Jasmine.

'How did you know that we were in trouble and he was a fake?' Jasmine asked suspiciously. 'Are you trying to earn our trust so you can trick us into handing over the Belt?'

'No, I'm not,' Morio replied quietly.

'Then how did you know?'

'The Topaz helped me see the truth,' Morio explained. 'When I arrived back at the Forests of Silence, I discovered that Filli had stolen it. When I held it, my parents appeared. Through the strength of the Topaz and the help of my parents, I regained my memories. I finally know my true name and who I am. I remember my mother's sweet beautiful voice as she used to sing me to sleep every night. I remember the times Father taught me how to build daggers in our forge.' Morio had tears glistering in his eyes as he turned and looked Zeean in the eyes. 'And I remember the stories my grandmother used to tell me about Monty the Kin every night of the month she stayed with us, and how she made me Monty for my birthday so I could have the story with me even when she wasn't with me.'

Zeean was now in tears as she walked over and held him tightly.

'I cannot believe I didn't realise it was you earlier,' she sobbed.

'It's alright, I don't blame you,' Morio replied, also crying. 'I didn't even realise who I was.'

Zeean gave a weak chuckle. Morio looked at Jasmine.

'You were right, Jasmine. I did survive. When Prandine threw me from my bedroom window, I was still a little conscious. I ended up landing on the back on the Ak-Baba who had the Topaz. I managed to hold on until the Forests of Silence. I then fell off its back and the rest you know. I'm just sorry it took me so long to realise and remember.'

Jasmine said nothing; she only smiled with tears in her eyes. She was so happy that he had finally found out who he was.

'And Jarred,' Morio, who they now knew to be Prince Lief, said turning to face his father's best friend. 'Father says thank you and that he has no idea what he did to deserve a loyal friend like him.'

Jarred closed his eyes and laughed slightly. His friend was as clueless as ever. He then looked at Jasmine.

'Jas, the Belt.'

'Oh, right!' Jasmine placed the Topaz back into the Belt and walked over to Lief. She then smiled and placed it around his waist. It did not recognise him as the heir.

'You've got to be kidding me,' Glock grumbled.

Lief smiled sadly at his friends.

'Sometimes you should not put too much faith in an old book,' he said quietly, referring to the book on the Belt of Deltora. 'We should not have pinned our lives and hopes on a myth. It was just an old tale made for those who wanted to believe in magic… in miracles.'

'But you are proof of a miracle, Morio - I mean – Lief!' Jasmine argued. 'You have survived countless dangers and have done so much.'

'Maybe, but what more proof do you need, Jasmine?' he asked. 'Besides, this might be a sign. I could have offered the people nothing. How could I be a king? What am I but a wild boy, with no formal education, quick-tempered and troublesome, more at home in a forest than a walled garden? I would not be able to stay here anyway. The city is hideous to me and the palace would be like a prison.'

'But, Lief, prison walls can fall and gardens can become forests,' Jasmine explained gently. 'And you wouldn't have to live in the palace if you didn't want to. You could have always lived in the forge with Dad, Mum and I, or in Tora with Zeean.'

'It doesn't matter, Jasmine. The Belt does not recognise or want me as King. So why bother.'

'He's right,' Barda sighed. 'We're just going to have to find another way to defeat the Shadow Lord.'

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 4 December 2012  
><strong>Updated:<strong> **  
>Beta:<strong>

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED, FAIR USE ONLY.**


	16. One Year Later

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: ONE YEAR LATER**

A year had passed since Prince Lief was confirmed to be alive. During which time, Lief had returned to Tora with Zeean and Fardeep to live his life as a normal teenager, or at least try to. Meanwhile, Jasmine and Jarred worked closely with Barda and the Resistance. They were unable to return to the forge seeing as Prandine would have gone after them, and they were unable to save Anna from the Shadow Lord's clutches. So they figured they might as well help find a way to defeat the Shadow Lord with Barda. Nanion and the other representatives, except Glock - who remained with the Resistance - ended up returning to their homes.

As the year passed, Jasmine had many things on her mind, but the one question that never left her alone was why the Belt didn't recognise Lief. Was it because Lief was unwilling to be King? Or was it because it because one of the gems was fake?

Jasmine had immediately eliminated the possibility of one of the gems being a replica for the Belt had grown warm with the finding of each gem. She also dismissed the possibility of the Belt not responding to an unwilling heir. She just could not believe that would possibly happen.

She had spent many sleepless nights trying to discover the reason behind the Belt's unresponsiveness. She had considered many possibilities, but most were as unlikely as the next. However, just like all problems, all the simple matters are usually over looked and appear when it is least expected, as what happened to Jasmine.

While the adults of the Resistance were having a meeting, Jasmine was left to babysit the kids of some of the Resistance members. She was always left to babysit the kids, not that she minded. She loved kids and Jarred always filled her in on everything after the meetings.

As the kids sat on the ground playing an educational game where they thought of a word and then used each letter in the word to make another word, Jasmine sat in a chair writing down the adventures she had had with Lief and her father on their quest to restore the Belt of Deltora. Every second word she had to do.

'Okay, Jasmine, it's your turn!' one of the kids informed the teenager.

'Right, what's the word?' Jasmine inquired.

'The word is Deltora and you have to make words that have a meaning to our land. So… D?'

'Diamond,' Jasmine replied, having just been discussing it in her story.

'As in the Diamond in the Belt of Deltora?'

'Yes. I am talking about that Diamond.'

'Nice one. Okay, how about E?'

'Emerald.'

'The letter L?'

'Lapis Lazuli.'

'T?'

'Topaz.'

'O?'

'Opal.'

'R?'

'Ruby.'

'A?'

'Amethyst.'

'Wow, you were really good at that one. Who would have thought that the seven gems would spell Deltora?'

'What?' Jasmine asked quickly. She hadn't been paying much attention to the game.

'The beginning of each gem spells Deltora, but you already knew that seeing as you were the one who told us.'

'Of course,' Jasmine said, before looking down at her writing.

Was it a coincidence that the gems spelt Deltora? Something was telling her that it was no coincidence. Her scalp began to prickle as the well-remembered words from _The Belt of Deltora_ swarm into her mind:

Each gem has a power of its own, but together the seven make a spell far more powerful than the sum of its parts. Only the Belt of Deltora, complete as it was first fashioned by Adin and worn by Adin's true heir, has the power to defeat the Enemy.

_Complete as it was first fashioned by Adin_, Jasmine thought. _Together the seven make a spell… a spell… SPELL!_

'You kids are geniuses!' Jasmine exclaimed. 'Stay here!'

She ran from the room and into the meeting room, startling the occupants.

'Jasmine, what's wrong?' Jarred asked, getting to his feet.

'Nothing's wrong! It's the complete opposite!' she exclaimed excitedly. 'I know why the Belt didn't recognise Lief as the Heir to the throne! The gems were in the wrong order!'

'What makes you say that?' asked Dain.

'In _The Belt of Deltora_, it states that "_Each gem has a power of its own, but together the seven make a spell far more powerful than the sum of its parts. Only the Belt of Deltora, complete as it was first fashioned by Adin and worn by Adin's true heir, has the power to defeat the Enemy_." Adin first placed the gems in the Belt to spell Deltora! It makes sense!'

The adults and Dain all looked at each other. What Jasmine said did make sense.

'Very well,' Barda said at last. 'Jasmine, Jarred, Dain, Glock and I will travel to Tora at dawn.'

Jasmine practically skipped back to the kids. She couldn't wait to see Lief again.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

'Someone is excited,' Dain commented the next morning as he stood at Jasmine's doorway. She could barely sit still with anticipation.

'Is it that obvious?' she asked her boyfriend.

'To me it is,' he said, coming up behind her and embracing her. 'So why are you so excited?'

'I thought that it was obvious,' Jasmine joked.

'Only your excitement is obvious by I'm going to guess that it has something to do with the Prince.'

'You're right, as usual. We haven't seen Lief in a year. It will be good to see him again.'

'I know what you mean. It will be good to see him again.' He sat down on her bed and pulled her into his lap.

'Do you think I'm right about the Belt and the position of the gems?' she asked Dain, wrapping her arms around his neck. 'Do you believe that we'll finally have Deltora back to the way it was before the Shadow Lord's attack?'

'I believe that Deltora will become what it is meant to be,' he replied before taking her lips.

A cough separated them.

Jarred stood in the doorway, not looking to happy.

'If you two are finished, we are ready to leave,' he said.

Dain immediately left the room while Jasmine glared at Jarred. She still couldn't understand what he had against her dating Dain.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

It took the group roughly a week to get to Tora and when they arrived, they were greeted warmly by the Torans. The entire trip to Zeean's house took longer than it should have due to the Toran's cheerful welcomes.

'They seem a lot more cheerful than the last time we were here,' Jasmine commented.

'It may be because they have their Prince back,' Dain suggested as he rubbed his forehead.

'Are you alright?' Jasmine asked, taking his hand.

'Yeah, just a slight headache,' he replied, smiling down at her as he put his arm around her shoulders.

When they arrived at Zeean's house, they knocked on the door and moments later, Queen Sharn's mother answered the door. She was more than delighted to see them again.

'What a wonderful surprise!' Zeean exclaimed.

'Is Lief here?' asked Jarred.

'No, he's by the fountain with Fardeep,' Zeean said, before leading them towards the fountain where they had first met Zeean. 'Each day, Lief studies for a few hours with Fardeep. He is actually willing to study. At first he would only study for a couple of hours once a week, but now he can go for hours studying. There he is there.'

She nodded to the fountain and sure enough, Lief was sitting there with Fardeep. However, he wasn't as Jasmine remembered. He seemed so much happier now and more in touch with his royal side. He was wearing some blue Toran clothes. No one could ever believe that he was once a wild boy who lived with nature in the Forests of Silence.

He was currently reading from a novel out loud to Fardeep. Every now and then he would stumble over a word, but other than that he seemed to have come a long way.

Feeling someone's eyes upon him Lief looked up from his book and looked around. His eyes fell upon his grandmother and friends. He smiled widely.

'Jasmine! Barda! Jarred! Dain!' He closed his book and hurried over to them. 'Long time no see!'

His smile flattered ever so slightly when he saw Dain's arm wrapped around Jasmine's shoulder.

'What brings you here?' he asked.

'The Belt of Deltora,' Jarred replied. 'We think we know why it didn't glow.'

Lief's smile disappeared.

'You travelled all this way because of a theory for a myth?' he said, not looking to happy.

'It's not a myth, Lief,' Jasmine said confidently. 'We'll go and get the Belt and show you. Where is it?'

'It's here, around my waist,' Lief admitted, removing it from his waist. 'Is it really that surprising that I wear it?' he then asked his friends when he saw how surprised they looked.

'Yes, it is,' said Barda. 'You never seemed to like it very much.'

'Yeah, well, I felt as though I should,' Lief said awkwardly. 'I felt weird without it on.'

'That's good; that means you'll have no problem wearing it when it actually works.'

'You mean if it works,' replied Lief, handing over the Belt to Jasmine.

While Jasmine took the gems out of the Belt, Dain went and stood next to Lief, who barely paid any attention to him. Dain watched as Jasmine placed the gems back into the Belt of Deltora, only this time in the right order. He immediately saw that they were right order when the Belt emitted a small burst of energy. He knew that it was time to full fill his master's wishes.

As Jasmine was about to hand Lief back his heirloom, Dain pulled Lief up against him with his dagger under the seventeen year olds throat.

'What are you doing?' Lief exclaimed, trying to pull away from the other boy. Dain's grip remained firm.

'Are you really so naïve, _your highness_?' Dain responded nastily, before looking over at Jasmine. 'You are right, Jasmine, this is the end of your quest, but not the way you surely imagined it to be.'

'What has gotten into you?' she demanded. 'Just stop it!'

'You still don't realise what I really am, have you? I'm sad to say that you're not as smart as I thought you were,' Dain continued. 'You humans are so gullible. It is a relief no longer having to pretend to be one of you. I was getting so tired of it. You have no idea how frustrating it can be not being able to tell you just how pathetic you really are, especially since you have now helped my master find the lost Prince. He had a feeling that Lief didn't die that night, hence the reason he created me; a loyal servant who would be able to be accepted into the arms of his enemies with open arms who would lead me to the Heir.'

'How dare you take advantage of us like that?' Jasmine screamed furiously at him.

Dain merely smiled cruelly at her.

'Oh, I forgot,' he said mockingly. 'You and I had something special, didn't we, Jasmine?'

Jasmine was now shaking with anger and had tears of pain and fury glimmering in her eyes. In a rage, she ripped off the necklace he had given her and pegged it at him. Unfortunately, it got Lief instead.

'Now, Jasmine, that's no way to treat your Prince,' Dain mockingly scolded.

'You must be pretty proud of yourself for having deceived me for so many years,' Barda said coldly, fists clenched. He couldn't believe the boy he classed as a son had turned out to be a traitor.

'Of course I am,' replied Dain, pulling the dagger uncomfortably close to Lief's throat. 'Now, say goodbye to your precious Prince, though it's really your own fault that he now has to die.'

'What do you mean?' Zeean inquired, dry mouthed. She could not lose her grandson again, she just couldn't.

'When I informed my master that the Belt hadn't recognised Lief as the next King of Deltora and that the said Prince had no wish to be ruler, he was content enough to allow him to live peacefully with Zeean,' Dain explained. 'However, when I informed him that Jasmine had discovered the secret to why the Belt wasn't working, he ordered me to bring Lief to him. Now stand aside!'

The Torans and other friends all reluctantly stood aside. They could not risk Lief being hurt. They would rescue him later.

Dain carefully led Lief out of Tora. He was grateful to be away from the cursive Toran magic.

'You won't get away with this!' Lief growled.

'I it makes you feel better, just keep telling yourself that,' Dain replied, dragging him away from the city. Roughly a mile away, they rendezvoused with a pod of Grey Guards.

The traitor roughly pushed the Prince into one of the Grey Guards, who immediately bounded and gagged him. Once Lief was secure, the Guard then threw him over his shoulder and followed Dain with the other Guards marching behind them.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

The trip to Del's Palace was not comfortable for Lief. Dain made sure that he remained bounded at all times and he was only given a little bit of food and water. And when they arrived at their destination, the Prince didn't know where he should be grateful or not that they had arrived. Sure he was none likely to be closer to death, but surely he would no long be so uncomfortable. He was wrong.

Dain and the Grey Guard carrying Lief, took him straight to the palace's dungeon where he was chained to the slimy, cold wall and left alone.

The Prince of Deltora couldn't say how long he was chained to the wall with only a rat for company, but he ended up being in the company of a smug and triumphant Prandine.

'Prandine,' Lief growled in acknowledgement.

'I should have slit your throat that night,' he said. 'I should have made sure Adin's direct bloodline ended with you. But it doesn't matter now, does it? You are once more at my mercy.' He walked forward and grasped Lief's chin painfully. 'I have to say that you have grown up into a handsome young man. It's almost a shame to end your life.'

'Then I suggest you get it right this time,' the Prince replied coldly. 'I'd hate to lose my memories again. It was painful not knowing who I was.'

'Believe me; your death will be more painful than the loss of memories.' Prandine could barely contain his joy. 'Enjoy your last few days, Lief.'

'You can't win,' Lief informed him confidently. 'Even if you kill me, my cousin will stop you.'

'We shall see.'

Prandine then walked out of the room, laughing coldly.

For several days Lief remained imprisoned, wondering how he was going to die. In truth, he was scared. He was scared of what was awaiting him, not that he would let Prandine, Dain or any of his other enemies know.

Then the day came. At early morning, Prandine and Dain appeared with a pod of Grey Guards. They realised Lief from his restraints only to bind his hands behind his back and unceremoniously shoved a potato sack over his head. The Prince was then led through the palaces corridors to his doom.

He ended up being led outside, then down into the city and up a podium where he was tied to a wooden pole. He then felt something heavy being thrown at his feet. Heart pounding painfully in his chest, Lief began to wonder what they were planning. With his body surrounded by who knows what, a Grey Guard began to splash some sort of liquid around him. Lief shivered and the Guard noticed.

'Not to worry, _your highness_,' he said. 'You'll be warm soon enough.'

He then walked off laughing.

_I am definitely missing the joke here,_ Lief thought, moving uncomfortably.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

As the sun rose higher into the sky, Lief became aware of a crowd gathering below him and, once they had all assumingly gathered, Prandine address the crowd.

'Citizens of Deltora,' he began, 'you are in for a rare treat today! You are about to witness a historical event.'

He turned and ripped the sack off Lief's head.

As Lief's eyes adjusted to the light, he heard gasping around him.

Now able to see clearly, Lief looked around and saw that nearly all of Deltora had regathered. He saw all the tribes, including the people of D'Or, staring up at him. He then was able to see what was at his feet… stacks of branches and wood. He was to be burnt at the stake. Now he was even more frightened. The thought of burning to death scared him almost as much as drowning.

'Take a good look at your Prince,' Prandine continued, 'for this is the last you will ever see him.'

He motioned to a Grey Guard who touched a torch to the wood beneath Lief's feet before jumping to safety as flames began to leap.

'Watch as your puny prince screams for mercy as he burns!' the old adviser screamed gleefully to the horrified crowd. Some of the braver citizens even tried to help Lief in vain.

As the flames grew bigger and hotter, Lief began to shake with fear and began to cough as the smoke entered his lunges. He then cried out in pain as the flames began to scorch his body. He choked as more smoke was emitted into his body.

In the distance, he heard a roared, 'Now,' echo around the square of two voices, but he gave it no consideration as his vision began to blur. He could hear a commotion below, but none of it made any sense to him. He just wanted it to end. He wanted the pain to stop. He wanted to be able to breathe again.

Above him he thought he heard Kree screeching and before he knew it, he felt his bounds break and strong arms pull his weak figure out of the amber flames. He was then carried away from the burning podium and into the crowd.

Opening his eyes, Lief looked up at the worried Jarred's face.

'Jarred,' he mumbled.

'It's okay, Lief,' replied Jarred, soothingly. 'You're safe now.'

'Where are we going?'

'My house. We'll be safe there for the time been, or at least until you are strong enough to be moved again.'

Minutes later they arrived at the blacksmith's house and Lief was immediately taken to Jasmine's room and placed upon the bed. Zeean, Marilen and Jasmine arrive moments later with water and Morio's very own homemade healing cream.

'Are you alright, darling?' Zeean asked Lief when they had finished. He was staring up at the ceiling.

He shook his head, tears swelling in his eyes.

'I've never been so scared in my life,' he whispered.

Zeean, who was now crying due to her grandson's pain, carefully embraced him comfortingly.

'It's alright, sweetheart. You're safe now,' she breathed.

'No, I'm not,' Lief replied with a sigh. 'I'll never be safe and it is something that I'll have to live with.' He sat up weakly. 'Where's the Belt?'

'Here,' replied Marilen, pulling it off from around her waist. 'We thought it best that I should wear it in case we were too late.'

'Good idea. It's better to be safe than sorry.'

Taking the Belt off his cousin, Lief carefully placed it around his waist and a rush of heat swept through his body. There was a strange crackling sound before the Belt seemed to explode with light. The Belt had finally recognised him as Adin's true heir.

'You little brat!'

The occupants of Jasmine's room jumped violently as they whipped around to look at the door. Prandine was standing there furiously.

Jarred and Jasmine raised their swords warningly, but Lief was climbing out of bed, picking his daggers off the bedside table. Zeean had brought them with her.

'Leave him,' Lief ordered. 'He's mine. I'm going to make him pay for what he did to me, my family, and my kingdom.'

'Lief, you are still weak,' said Zeean. 'I know revenge can be sweet but there is always a time and a place for it. This is not the time or place.'

'You're wrong. It ends now.'

Lief's fierce determination and hatred gave him the strength to ignore his tired body's complaints as he attacked Prandine with a plan in mind.

He tactfully managed to get Prandine outside where he and his enemy intertwined sword and dagger for a good few minutes, though that was all Lief was able to do. He was feeling his energy leaving him quickly. He knew that if his plan was to work, he would have to act now.

His tactic was the same way he defeated Barda in the Rithmere Games.

Lief smirked at Prandine.

'Is that the best you've got, old man?' he asked. 'But I suppose it is as you would be getting on by now. How old are you again? You're like a zillion years old?'

'Watch your mouth!' Prandine snapped.

Lief sniggered. He knew that age was a touchy subject for Prandine. He discovered that back when he was a child.

'Old man! Old man!' Lief chanted, jumping all over the place, dodging the furious Prandine's attacks.

When the old man taunts began to lose effect, Lief started insulting the Shadow Lord. Those taunts were particularly effective. Lief didn't stop until he was on the edge of a cliff.

'Nowhere to go now, your highness,' Prandine snarled. 'Do say hello to your mummy and daddy for me.'

'Tell them yourself!' Lief snapped as Prandine charged at him.

He jumped high into the air and jumped over Prandine's shoulders – cutting his leg on the maddened Shadow Lord's servant's sword, in the process – and pushing him over the cliff. He then listened to Prandine's screams as he fell to his death.

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 5 December 2012  
><strong>Updated:<strong> N/A**  
>Beta: <strong>I-Angel92

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED, FAIR USE ONLY.**


	17. The King of Deltora

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN: THE KING OF DELTORA**

It had been over a month since the Belt of Deltora had recognised Lief as the next King of Deltora. During that month, the kingdom prepared itself for the formal ceremony of Lief being recognised as King and crowned. Everyone was excited. That was, everyone except the King. In his eyes, it was just another meaningless ceremony. After all, he was already performing the duties of a King and everyone knew who he was, so why bother going to all this effort?

Lief ended up, much to his dismay, living in the palace and he found adjusting back to palace life very, very difficult. He hated the royal attire he had to wear during formal meetings, he hated the rules, and he even hated all the paper work he had to do, especially since most of it made no sense to him. Thankfully, he always had Zeean by his side and Jarred came by regularly when he wasn't working in the forge. He even had Barda, the new captain of the palace guards.

However, above all, he hated palace life in general. He felt as though he was being locked up in a prison. He felt as though his freedom had been taken away with all the restrictions he now had place upon him. He was busy all the time and barely had any time to himself. For when he was not performing his kingly duties he was studying with Fardeep. He rarely got to see Jasmine any more.

As the ceremony came closer, many guests began to arrive including each tribes representatives. Lief was thrill to see them all again, but as soon as he had greeted them, he was swept away to usually review documents.

And then the morning of the ceremony arrived which found all the representatives, Jasmine and Barda in a large room together admiring the luxurious attire they were to wear.

'Do we all have to wear this?' Jarred complained, looking at his attire. He never thought that he would have to wear something like this ever again once he had left the palace as a teenager.

'Yes,' Manus laughed. 'We all have to dress up for the occasion.'

'I have this one!' Gla-Thon announced joyfully as she held a beautiful light green dress up against her and twirled around.

'At least someone is happy about this,' Jarred mumbled.

'Aren't you going to choose your dress, Jasmine?' Gla-Thon asked Jasmine, stopping before her.

'I don't want to,' replied Jasmine, glumly.

Jarred and the other representatives looked over at her.

'What do you mean you don't want to?' Jarred asked her quietly. 'I thought that you would be thrilled at the idea of dressing up.'

Jasmine merely shrugged.

'What's wrong, Jasmine?' asked Gla-Thon. 'You look upset.'

Before Jasmine could reply, if she was going to reply, they heard a voice yelling, 'King Lief! King Lief!'

Moments later, three of Lief's counsellors entered the room looking very worried.

'Is King Lief here?' one of them asked. It was he who had been yelling out for Lief.

'What has happened?' Zeean asked sharply.

'We cannot find him, Lady Zeean, and the ceremony will start soon. I will request to log a search right away.'

The three counsellors than ran from the room.

'Has something happened to him?' Steven mused aloud, worriedly.

'Shouldn't we help?' Gla-Thon inquired.

'Yes, let's go look for him,' replied Manus.

'Hold on,' Fardeep interjected.

Everyone looked at the elderly man.

'We should investigate the people who saw where Lief went,' he continued calmly.

'Investigate?' Glock questioned.

'That's right,' said Fardeep. 'We can bring together the clues and perhaps we'll find a way to discover where Lief is. So let's start gathering clues here. Did any of you see Lief today?'

'Lief is an irresponsible king,' Glock muttered, shaking his head, ignoring the look Zeean was giving him. 'He must have gone on another journey again.'

'Lief is not like that,' Gla-Thon disagreed. 'If he were travelling, he would have taken Jasmine and Jarred with him.'

'Yeah, that's right,' Jasmine sighed sadly. 'Lief now has a busy life.'

'Jasmine and Gla-Thon are right,' said Jarred.

'And how do you know that?' asked Glock.

'He did not take the Belt of Deltora,' replied Jarred, 'as the Belt will be used in the ceremony, it is currently being guarded. Barda informed me of this when I arrived.'

'Then you are right,' said Glock. 'Lief would never travel Deltora without the Belt.'

'Then where is Lief?' Manus said posing the question on everyone's mind.

'Well… I don't know if this is a clue, but yesterday Lief came to me and bought a single blue raw gem,' Steven informed his friends. 'When I asked him what it was for, he told me it was nothing with a smile and a slight blush on his face. His smile at that time expressed total happiness.'

'Do you suppose that Lief was planning on giving the gift to someone, like to a future queen?' asked Glock.

'If so, do you suppose he'll want to announce the new queen during the ceremony?' Fardeep probed.

'No,' Zeean said firmly. 'He has not said anything about this to me or Jarred.'

'Yeah, if he was looking for a queen, you two would be the first to know,' Glock agreed. 'So, we must continue with the investigation.'

'Now that I think about it, when I was coming here, I saw Lief going to the tower, to the chapel,' Manus said suddenly. 'He was sort of sneaking around.'

'He must be expecting the ceremony to be in there,' Jarred replied carelessly. 'Since the chapel exists.'

Jasmine gasped.

'Speaking of chapels, doesn't it contain a secret passage out of the palace?' she said, eyes wide.

'Yes,' Jarred and Manus said in unison.

'I bet you anything he used it to get out of the palace!'

'There's only one way to find out,' said Steven.

The friends then fled from the room and headed straight to the chapel. On their way, many people quickly jumped out of their way and watched on curiously wondering what was happening.

When they arrived at the palace's chapel, they hurried inside and Jarred and Manus went over to the secret passage. Upon examination, they could see that Lief had used it due to the recent scuff marks on the floor.

'He has used it!' Manus informed the others.

'But why would he use it?' Glock questioned.

'He must have wanted to be alone, so he fled,' Manus replied thoughtfully.

'Surely he's doing something and he doesn't want anyone to bother him,' said Steven.

'Lief is always like that,' Jasmine said with a slight huff. 'Deciding things without consulting us –' she broke off with another gasp.

'You don't think that he's returned to the Forests of Silence, do you?'

'No, he wouldn't,' Zeean said firmly, though she looked a little worried.

'He might have, Zeean,' Jarred said gently. 'He was under a lot of stress and maybe it just got too much for the poor boy.'

'Poor boy!' Jasmine snapped angrily, turning her back on her friends and father. 'Lief is nothing but a spoilt kid who never thinks about how his plans would affect others! He most like did return to those cursed forests so he could escape from his responsibility! He even admitted to us at the City of the Rats that he would have no problem abandoning his people!'

While Jasmine ranted, Lief re-appeared out of the secret passage. He was startled to find all his friends and grandmother standing there, just as they were startled to see him appear. As he climbed out of the passage, his eyes fell upon Jasmine and his eyebrows went up into his hair as he realised who she was ranting about. He calmly walked over to her.

'I could never abandon my people, Jasmine,' Lief told her quietly.

She jumped violently and turned to face him as she went red with embarrassment.

'Lief –' she began.

'It's okay, I can understand why you would be angry with me,' he said quietly. Over the past month, it could be seen that Lief had matured much. He no longer lost his temper at the little things, though it also might have been because he didn't have the energy to argue. 'After everything I said in the past, it is no wonder what I just did made me look like I was running away. No matter how tempting it is. I promise you I will never run away.'

'Where have you been, Lief?' Zeean demanded. 'Everyone's been so worried!'

'Sorry about that, but I was making something and I wanted to be alone,' Lief admitted, turning slightly pink in the cheeks. 'I only just finished it. See?'

He pulled a necklace out of his pocket. It had an oval wooden pendant, which had been carved and engraved with vines and flowers, with a small blue gem in the centre. It was the same gem Lief had purchased from Steven. The pendant was attacked to some purple necklace rope.

'I made it for Jasmine so she could wear it at the ceremony,' he continued, walking behind Jasmine and pulling the necklace around the stunned girl's neck. 'Do you like it?' he added, sounding worried.

'I love it,' Jasmine informed him, before kissing him on the cheek.

'Come on,' Jarred said eventually. 'We should all go and get ready. The ceremony will be starting soon.'

'If I must,' Lief groaned as Jarred led him away.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

Once all the guests were seated, Jarred, Jasmine and all the representatives entered the room and lines up in a horizontal line at the front for all to see. Barda then followed. He would be conducting the ceremony. Moments later, a nervous and uncomfortable Lief entered the room with Kree flying in front of him and Filli on his shoulder. When he had made it to the front of the room, Barda began.

'Bring forth the Belt of Deltora,' he ordered.

Five priests entered the room. One was carrying the Belt of Deltora on a royal purple cushion. Barda stepped forward and gently picked the Belt up and returned to Lief where he stood in front of him, smiling. He placed the Belt around the young King's waist, before stepping back as the Belt exploded with light once more. This brought many gasps and sighs from the crowd.

'At this moment,' Barda said, 'the Belt of Deltora has accepted Lief, son of King Endon and Queen Sharn, Heir of Adin, as the new king. Now, a new kingdom will be built. Now it is time to address the people of your kingdom, Lief,' he added as a whisper to the King.

Lief nodded his head and stepped forward to address the people he was born to rule.

'I recovered the kingdom of Deltora with the brilliance of the seven gems of the Belt,' he began, making a speech up as he went. He had not planned for this. 'However, this was only possible thanks to my friends who fought by my side and helped me remember who I truly was. It is for this reason that I will now present to you my friends and the representatives of the seven tribes.'

Lief turned and gestured to Fardeep with a fond smile on his face.

'I introduce to you the representative of the Mere tribe, Fardeep!' Fardeep stepped forward and nodded to the crowd. 'With his tribe's gem being the heavenly stone, the Lapis Lazuli.'

The crowd applauded. Lief patiently waited until the crowd had settled down before gesturing to Zeean.

'The representative of the Toran tribe, and my beloved grandmother, Lady Zeean,' he continued. 'Her gem is the symbol of truth, the Amethyst.

She nodded her head as the people cheered again.

'Representing the Ralad tribe is Manus with his gem being the symbol of happiness, the Ruby.'

Manus followed Zeean and Fardeep's lead and bowed to the cheering crowd.

'Representing the Dread Gnomes is Gla-Thon, granddaughter of the current tribal leader, Fa-Glin. Her tribe's gem, the Emerald, is the symbol of honour.'

As the crowd cheered, Lief looked into the crowd for Fa-Glin. When he found the elderly gnome, he could see how proud he was of his granddaughter. The pride was practically leaping off him.

'The representative of the Jalis tribe is Glock,' Lief continued. 'His gem is the symbol of purity and strength, the Diamond.'

Lief could see that Glock looked a little wet around the eyes.

'The representatives of the Plains people, Steven and Neverts with their gem being the Opal, a symbol of hope.'

Steven bowed and moments later, Neverts appeared to receive his recognition.

'Finally, the last representatives are of the Topaz, the symbol of faithfulness, and the Del tribe,' Lief said, turning to face Jarred and Jasmine. 'They are my friends who started the quest for the seven gems and have taught me so much, Jarred and Jasmine. If it hadn't been for them, Filli, Kree and I would still be living in the Forests of Silence, unaware of the world around us. And it is for that reason I am most grateful to you, and grateful for the loyalty you have shown my family when it would have been easier just to turn your back on us.'

As the crowd cheered, Jasmine allowed a tear to fall as she smiled at Lief.

'Don't look at your mother,' Jarred breathed.

'Why?' Jasmine said, looking over. She found her mother crying with happiness and pride. This made Jasmine begin to cry.

'I told you not to look at her,' Jarred sniggered, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

In reply, she playfully nudged him.

'I would also like to thank the Kin, especially Prin, Alisa, Merin and Bruna, and Nanion of the D'Or tribe,' Lief continued. 'And of course there is Barda and his Resistance. Peace exists today because of everyone joining forces as a united nation, not just because of the Belt of Deltora.'

'Long live the King!' Barda yelled out, and the people in the room, of every nation, joined in with his cheer.

After all, at long last the seven tribes were united once more under the rule of a Prince they thought that they had lost forever.

* * *

><p><strong>THE END<strong>

**PLEASE REVIEW THE STORY!**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** The next chapter is just filling in a gap of the story.

**QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS STORY:  
><strong>-Am I doing the Deltora Quest Series 2 and 3?  
><em>The answer is no. The Prince of Deltora is the only story. It will not be turned into a series.<em>

**OTHER DELTORA QUEST STORIES:  
><strong>-A Prince's Duty [future story]

**Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:** link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 5 December 2012  
><strong>Updated:<strong> N/A**  
>Beta: <strong>I-Angel92

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED, FAIR USE ONLY.**


	18. Filling in a Gap: His True Identity

**FILLING IN A GAP: HIS TRUE IDENTITY**

_'Marilen, would you step forward please,' Jarred asked the young lady next to him._

_She nodded, and taking a deep breath, she went and stood at the front of the room. Zeean picked up the Belt of Deltora and began to walk towards the young Toran. Her eyes were filled with tears of joy… and sorrow. Once before Marilen, she carefully placed the Belt around the Heir's waist and waited. Nothing happened. The Belt did not recognise Marilen as the rightful Heir._

_'How can this be,' Zeean muttered. 'Marilen is the only Heir after Lief. The only reason it would not glow would be if Lief was still alive, which he is not.'_

_'Maybe he is,' Jasmine said quietly._

_Everyone turned to look at her, but she ignored them. Her eyes were on one person and one person only; Morio._

_'I think there is a reason why you look like Lief, Morio,' Jasmine told him quietly. 'I think you are Prince Lief.'_

_Morio just stared at her before he burst out laughing._

_'Yeah, nice one, Jasmine,' he laughed._

_'I'm being serious.'_

_Morio abruptly stopped laughing._

_'I'm not him,' he said firmly. 'Do I look and sound like a Prince to you? My education is next to nothing. I am more at home is a forest than a building, and you know, I might have lost my early memories, but I think I would remember the little detail of being a Prince!'_

_'But how do you know that?' Jasmine argued._

_In the background, Marilen placed the Belt of Deltora back on the table. Filli, jumped off Morio's shoulder to have a look at it._

_Morio did not reply._

_'Think about it, please! Prince Lief was thrown out a window and the last thing you remember is falling from the sky. What if, by some miracle, you were somehow taken to the Forests of Silence –'_

_'Jasmine, stop it,' Morio interrupted. 'Do you even hear what you are saying?'_

_'She has a point, Morio,' Jarred said pointedly._

_'Look, I'm not Lief!' Morio snapped, finally losing his temper. 'And you know what else? I don't want to be a Prince or King! In saying that, I am returning back to the Forests of Silence.'_

_'What? Why?' Jasmine could not believe what she was hearing._

_'You knew that this day was going to come,' said Morio, his voice softening ever so slightly. 'I have helped you find the seven gems as the Elder Tree said I should, but now it is time for me to return home where I belong. Before I go, I will give you this one piece of advice; you should give up now while you still can. Deltora does not need another pathetic King or Queen. Come on, Filli.' He held out his arm for the small creature who immediately ran to him. He then picked up his bag and left the building._

He never looked back as he exited Withick Mere, not once. No, he kept his head held high and headed straight for home. Did he want to leave? No, not really. He loved Jarred and Jasmine's company, but they already had lives to return to. They had a family. What did he have? Nothing. His only family was Kree and Filli. He thought that when he joined them that he would be able to find his family, but all it did was made him grow attached to people and for them to start calling him Lief. He did not want to be mistaken for someone he wasn't for the rest of his life, and the only place he could go to avoid it was the Forests of Silence.

One thing he found that when he travelled by himself, with Kree and Filli, he was able to get to places quicker. He did, however, find it a little lonely. On several occasions he went to comment on something to Jasmine and Jarred only to realise that they weren't with him anymore and he was never going to see them again. He would never be able to go to Jarred for advice or have him as his fatherly figure, and he would never be able to talk to Jasmine again and argue with her.

When he returned to the Forests of Silence, the trees and animals all welcomed him back.

'_Welcome back, Morio,'_ said the elder tree that had sent him out on the quest, '_though I have to admit that I am surprised to see you back here.'_

'Why should you be surprised?' Morio asked. 'This is my home. You are my only family.'

'_Do you really believe that to be true, little one? Are you really willing to spend your life here with only the trees and animals for company? You are human, and should be amongst them. What are you running away from?'_

'I'm not running away from anything!' Morio snapped.

'_Are you sure about that?'_

Was Morio sure? No, he wasn't. True, one might say that he was running away so he would never be called Lief again, but was that the only reason.

'_You should rest, dear Morio,' _the tree continued. _'You must be tired after your long journey.'_

'You're right, as usual,' Morio muttered, heading for his home way above the forest's floor.

Once inside, he lay down on the floor and stared absently at the ceiling. This worried Kree and Filli.

'Did I do the right thing?' he asked them. 'Should I have stayed and then tried to find out who my family truly was? After all, Jarred did promise me that he would help me find them, and he is not a man to break his word. Argh! I feel so lost at the moment!' he suddenly screamed, scaring Kree and Filli.

'Sorry, you two,' he apologised, sitting up and smiling down at them.

It was then that he noticed that Filli was carrying something that looked a lot like the Topaz.

'Filli, is that the Topaz?' he asked her.

She squeaked at him.

'What are you doing with it?' he demanded. 'How did you even get it?'

She answered him.

'Well, there's nothing else for it,' he sighed. 'Hand it over and we'll go and pay Jasmine a little visit.'

Filli did as he asked.

The moment the gem touched Morio's hand, his house abruptly dimmed while a thick, billowing mist began to form. Kree screeched and Filli chattered nervously. Morio, however, froze. Out of the white mist, two wavering white figures appeared. One was a man with long, blonde hair and beard, looking similar to Morio, while the other was a kind-faced woman who looked like a younger version of Zeean. Both of them were smiling lovingly at Morio and both of them looked very familiar to him, but he didn't know why, though that nagging feeling at the back of his mind was telling him that he should.

'Oh my dearest son,' the woman exclaimed stepping forward and embracing Morio.

Morio looked at her quickly. Did she just call him son? Was this his mother?

'M-Mum?' he questioned hesitantly.

She smiled and nodded.

Morio turned to the man. If this woman was his mother, than that must mean…

'Dad?'

The man smiled and nodded.

'We are so proud of you, Lief,' he said.

The boy tensed.

'What did you call me?' he asked, dry mouthed.

'I called you Lief, as is the name you were given at birth.'

Morio stared at him.

'You have done very well since the Shadow Lord invaded and denied you the life you going to live,' Sharn said quietly, 'but now you must do more. You must return to Jarred and claim what is rightfully yours. You are the only one who can drive the Shadow Lord from this land.'

'I can't,' said Morio, stepping away from his parents. 'I can't be a king. I can't rule anyone.'

'You can, and you will,' Endon said, walking forward and placing his hand gently on his teenaged son's shoulder. 'You will make a faboulous king, just like Adin. You have walked among the people –'

'But I do not understand anything of politics!'

'That is why you have your grandmother and Jarred. They will not abandon you.'

'How do I even know this is real? How do I even know you are my parents?'

'We will help you remember. Tonight is a full moon, which means the Topaz will be at its strongest. Allow it to clear your mind and focus. Allow the memories to come flooding back…'

Morio hesitantly did as Endon instructed, and as the old King was talking about different activities they did together, the memories began to return once more.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

It took a few hours for Morio, otherwise known as Lief, to regain his important memories, but when he did, he was crying, something he could not recall ever doing. He cried for the death of his parents and cried for not remembering his grandmother, Zeean, after all the hours they had spent together.

'You know what you have to do?' Sharn asked her son, once he had stopped crying.

'I do,' he replied confidently.

'Then travel to Del,' said Endon. 'That is where your friends are headed.'

Lief nodded his understanding.

'We must leave you now,' Sharn sighed, 'but know that we will always be watching over you, as we always have, my son. And know that we will always love you and we are so proud of you and sorry for what we have done.'

'You mean what I did,' Endon said bitterly.

Sharn looked at him sternly.

'I am as much to blame as you,' she said firmly. 'Not once did I tell you to wear the Belt or go down into the city.'

'But –'

'Don't but me, Endon!'

Lief chuckled slightly at his mum scolding his dad.

'I love you,' he whispered, embracing them. 'I promise you that I will attempt to be a good king.'

'You already are,' said Endon. 'And Lief? Please thank Jarred for all he has done. I don't know what I ever did to deserve him as a friend.'

'I will.'

The mist then slowly disappeared and Lief turned to Filli and Kree.

'You heard my parents, we're going to Del,' he said.

**-THE PRINCE OF DELTORA-**

When Lief arrived in Del, he remained hidden at the city's gates, watching everyone enter. He sat there watching for his friends. However, after hours of watching, he figured that he had missed them so he entered the city to have a look around.

He weaved in and out of unfamiliar faces, hoping that no one would recognise him. He was fortunate enough that only a few people did a double take on him, but he was usually gone before they could have a closer look.

He searched high and low for his friends but he could not find them. He even went to Jarred's forge to see if they were there, but he wasn't in luck.

_I hope nothing has happened to them,_ he thought as he perched in a tree, hidden in the leaves, looking down at the crowd below.

It was then that he saw a familiar face walking onto the stage below the tree he was in. A face that he would have gladly watched been burnt. It was Prandine, the traitor who had murdered his parents and had attempted to murder him, and he had two Grey Guards and a youth with a sack on his head with him.

Lief was debating whether or not he should just jump down there and get his revenge when Prandine began to address the nervous crowd.

'People of Deltora,' he began in his silken voice. 'It has come to our Lord's attention that you have been trying to find the next Heir of Deltora. Some of you, I know have no idea what I am talking about, but needn't you worry for I am addressing the small group who, a few days ago, participated in a ceremony to find the next Heir. In particular, I speak to you, Jarred of Del and Zeean of Tora, for you will hand over the Belt of Deltora or else.'

'Or else what, Prandine?' Jarred yelled out angrily at him. Lief's attention went straight to his father's best friend. He would not lose sight of him. 'Nothing you say or do will make us hand over the last hope of Deltora.'

'I thought you would say that.'

Prandine clicked his fingers and two Grey Guards appeared with a struggling, anorexic teenager, dressed in rags with a bag over his head. He was then forced to his knees next to Prandine.

'I have a surprise for you, Lady Zeean. A surprise that I think will make you change your mind!' Prandine ripped the back off the teenagers head. The boy's blue eyes immediately glared up at Prandine, while his blonde hair framed his starved face. He then looked nervously out at the crowd, but his eyes widened when he saw Zeean.

'Grandma,' he whispered.

Zeean's hands went straight to her mouth as she began to cry as she thought she was looking at her grandson. The true Lief, however, was outraged. Not only was Prandine stooping low enough to break his grandmother's heart, but he looked nothing like that boy. Okay, there were similarities, but he was still insulted that he thought that Lief would look like that.

The crowd, however, was silent. No one made a sound. The citizens just stared at their assumed to be Prince. He was alive.

'How – how is this possible?' Glock managed to say eventually. 'Jarred saw the boy thrown out the window.'

'Indeed he was, but what Jarred did not see was an Ak-Baba catch the spoilt little brat,' Prandine replied.

_That is scarily true, _Lief thought.

'So, Jarred… Zeean, my Master is willing to do a trade,' Prandine continued. 'You hand over that cursed Belt, and the Prince is free to go and live with you in Tora, like you have always wanted.'

'And if we don't?' Gla-Thon asked.

'You watch as I slit his throat right before your eyes.'

_Please don't hand over the Belt,_ Lief silently pleaded.

'We chose neither,' Steven growled, before gasping as Neverts appeared.

His brother immediately went and protected the Lief imposter, who was probably an Ol. He threw Prandine off the platform before killing the two Grey Guards. With the enemies gone, he threw the young Prince over his shoulder, jumped down and grabbed Steven, before running off with them. Jasmine, the other representatives, Jarred, Nanion, Barda and Dain ran off after him.

The real Lief followed them unnoticeably to a secret passage Jasmine had found when she was a little girl. Remaining in the shadows, Lief watched everything that happened. With every passing minute, his facial expression became darker and darker.

'Grandma!' the Ol exclaimed, hurrying and embracing Zeean tightly the moment its hands were free of its bounds. 'I thought you were dead!'

'I thought you were dead too, precious,' Zeean said with a sob.

'I feel as though I'm looking at Morio,' Jasmine muttered. The Ol surprisingly tensed up at the name.

'You have met, Morio?' it asked them.

'Yes, you know him?' Jasmine replied shocked.

'Indeed I do. He is one of the Shadow Lord's servants. He was designed to make people believe that he was me, if the need arose,' the Ol explained. 'He was sent to the Forests of Silence to protect one of the Belt gems in case anyone tried to fix the Belt and find an Heir. From what I learnt from Prandine, his task was to discourage who ever sort the gems, and if he didn't succeed he was to kill them.'

Lief growled and drew his daggers.

'That makes sense,' Dain said thoughtfully. 'Remember, before we left, that he told us to give up on the quest.'

'That is true,' Jasmine said, now feeling hurt and betrayed. 'There were also times during the quest when he wanted to give up or change our minds about something. When we were going to the Lake of Tears he tried to urge us against it, but at the time, we thought it was for Kree's safety. Then there was the time at the City of the Rats, he was asking us why we were even bothering to restore the Belt.'

'It was like Dain said on the River Queen,' Jarred said quietly. 'The Shadow Lord knows our weakness is to find Adin's Heir so he made an Ol to slowly manipulate us into thinking something. He played us well.'

_No, he's playing you well now, _Lief thought, waiting for the right moment to reveal himself.

'Well it doesn't matter now,' Glock growled. 'He is long gone and we still have the Belt.'

'You have the Belt of Deltora?' The Ol's face lit up. 'I thought that it had been destroyed!'

'Jarred was able to fix it, and then he and his daughter found the gems,' Zeean informed it.

'Then you have my eternal thanks.' The Ol gave Jarred and Jasmine a small bow.

Jasmine took off the Belt and handed it to the Ol.

Lief smirked. Now they would all see that it was an Ol. After all, an Ol could not touch the Belt safely, right?

The Ol was about to take Lief's heirloom, when it suddenly stopped and its eyes widened.

_Go on, take it, _Lief urged silently.

'Where is the Topaz?' it asked.

Lief silently cursed a word he had heard Jarred say on many occasions.

Everyone looked at the Belt.

'But, it was there during the ceremony!' Jasmine gasped.

'Morio,' Nanion said quietly. 'He must have taken it.'

'But how could he?' Manus asked. 'He was nowhere near the Belt.'

'And an Ol would not be able to touch the Belt,' said Dain. 'No servant of the Shadow Lord can.'

'That's not true,' Jarred said quickly. 'Prandine and all the advisors before him could.'

'Be that as it may, he was still nowhere near the Belt,' said Barda.

'No, but Filli was,' Steven said, eyes wide. 'I saw her looking at it. She must have somehow removed the gem when none of us were looking!'

'Then we must find Morio and get it back!' Jasmine exclaimed.

'But we don't know where he is,' Gla-Thon said glumly, 'and even if we do find him, we don't know that he still has it.'

'Oh, I still have it,' Lief said, walking out of the shadows ready to slaughter that Ol impersonating him. He would not have it.

The group turned and looked at him.

'What are you doing here?' Glock growled.

'I'm here to kill that worthless thing you call Prince,' Lief growled, his eyes on the Ol who gulped and moved backwards.

* * *

><p><strong>Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page:<strong> link on profile  
><strong>Written:<strong> 5 December 2012  
><strong>Updated:<strong> N/A**  
>Beta: <strong>I-Angel92

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED, FAIR USE ONLY.**


End file.
